George Mudie
Main Page: George Mudie (Labour - Leeds East)(12 years, 2 months ago)
Commons ChamberRead Full debate Read Hansard Text
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Vince Cable
I thank my colleague for that. I have met Dave. He is an impressive entrepreneur and very public-spirited and, as I understand it, is doing a great job in Burnley in channelling savings directly to local businesses. That seems an extremely attractive model that could well be reproduced elsewhere.
Mr George Mudie (Leeds East) (Lab)
With the gap between the south and the regions widening, I am disappointed that the Secretary of State has not included a regional element in the industrial strategy. Does he now regret the hasty decision to abolish the regional development agencies and replace them with the impoverished local enterprise partnerships and the incoherent regional growth strategy?
Vince Cable
The gap between north and south, which is of course a good deal more complex than the hon. Gentleman suggests—there are parts of the north that do extremely well—has been widening for many years, in spite of the regional development agencies. I am absolutely satisfied that the structures we have introduced, the local enterprise partnerships, are more relevant to local geography, much more business focused and, together with the city deals, will give an energy to the development of some of the areas which have been struggling that they have not had for many years.