Employment: Market and Coastal Towns

Baroness Farrington of Ribbleton Excerpts

Tuesday 12th July 2011 Lords Chamber

[Lord De Mauley]

My Lords, I am not, and I will follow that up with my colleagues.

[Baroness Farrington of Ribbleton]

My Lords, would the Minister care to comment on the savage cuts in local authority spending for areas such as Blackpool in the north, where the reduction in public expenditure is far greater than the Government have made either in the south of England or in Civil Service and government spending?

[Lord De Mauley]

My Lords, I know that the noble Baroness takes this issue very seriously. The Government are especially aware of some of the northern coastal towns—she mentioned one. A question was asked earlier about local enterprise partnerships. They now cover all northern coastal towns. As locally owned and genuine business civic partnerships, they are taking the strategic lead for economic growth and creating the right conditions for private sector growth along the coast, supported by budget measures to help small and medium-sized enterprises.