Oral Answers to Questions

James Morris Excerpts

Tuesday 13th December 2016 Commons Chamber

[Greg Clark]

Of course steel is incredibly important, and it is important that it should have a bright future—we all want to see that. One thing I have been doing with the Minister for Climate Change and Industry, working closely with the steel industry on both the employer and trade union side, is to fund and bring together a strategic review, and the whole industry is coming together to work on it. That is expressly designed to inform our industrial strategy, so that we can look forward with confidence to a very successful steel industry.

[James Morris (Halesowen and Rowley Regis) (Con)]

14. What recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness of local enterprise partnerships.

[Sir Henry Bellingham (North West Norfolk) (Con)]

18. What recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness of local enterprise partnerships.

--- Later in debate ---

[Mr Speaker]

We are, in fact, grouping this question with Question 18. Ministers have to keep their eye on the Order Paper. The numbers change over a period, for reasons that I think will be fairly obvious to the Minister.

[James Morris]

There are 30,000 more businesses with high-speed broadband in the black country as a result of the leadership of the Black Country local enterprise partnership. Does the Minister agree that the Black Country LEP has been an excellent example of bringing together the private and public sector to drive growth, improve skills and build the infrastructure that the black country economy needs?

[Mr Hurd]

I thank my hon. Friend for bringing that to the attention of the House; it sounds like a fantastic deal that will unlock many opportunities for people and businesses in the black country. I hear great things about the LEP and the chairmanship of Stewart Towe, and through my hon. Friend, who I know has been a tireless champion of the LEP, I pass on the congratulations of the Government.