European Union (Referendum) Bill

Debate between Phil Wilson and Lord Wharton of Yarm

Friday 22nd November 2013 Commons Chamber

[Phil Wilson]

There is certainly a deafening silence from the hon. Member for Stockton South.

[James Wharton (Stockton South) (Con)]

I have been as disciplined as I can, Mr Speaker, as I do not wish to drag out the debate. However, I am tempted to remind the hon. Gentleman, who has taken such an interest in investment and job creation in the north-east, that it was Margaret Thatcher who brought Nissan to the north-east, it was under this Government that we got Hitachi and that it was this Government who returned steelmaking to Teesside after it closed under Labour. A referendum will end uncertainty by giving people a clear choice. He might want to use the arguments he has put forward to argue that we stay in, and that will be his choice when the time comes. The fact remains that if we want to end uncertainty we need to give people a say and bring the debate to an end.

[Phil Wilson]

Perhaps the hon. Gentleman should make a speech on these issues. Let us not forget that I am pleased about the investment Nissan brought to this country in the 1980s. I also remember that for every job it created five other jobs were lost. Also, let us not forget that a Conservative Government brought in the Single European Act in the first place.

Regional Growth Fund

Debate between Phil Wilson and Lord Wharton of Yarm

Tuesday 1st November 2011 Westminster Hall

[Phil Wilson (Sedgefield) (Lab)]

It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship today, Mr Gray, and I congratulate my hon. Friend the Member for Penistone and Stocksbridge (Angela Smith) on securing this debate.

I will be brief because other Members wish to speak and we obviously want to hear contributions from the Front-Bench spokesmen. First, I would like to congratulate those firms in my constituency that have received money from the regional growth fund—Kromek Ltd, Permoid Industries Ltd, Carlton & Co., Hydram Engineering Ltd and ThyssenKrupp Tallent Ltd. Those highly-skilled organisations will produce jobs in the future. As I pointed out, however, although the regional growth fund will create around 8,500 jobs in the north-east of England, that is about the same as the number of jobs that have been lost in the north-east over the past three months.

[James Wharton (Stockton South) (Con)]

The hon. Gentleman is right to mention estimates that suggest that the current round of regional growth fund funding for the north-east will create 8,500 direct jobs. In addition, however, there will be 17,000 indirect jobs. The previous round of funding, in which our region did exceptionally well, is estimated to have created a further 5,200 direct jobs, and 8,400 indirect jobs. The figures are higher than one might believe if we listened only to the comments made by Opposition Members.

[Phil Wilson]

Those jobs will come on stream over the next few years. North-east England now has the highest unemployment in the country, and we are grateful for everything that we receive from the regional growth fund. We should not forget, however, that the fund for regional development is only one third of what it was under the previous Government. The problem with the regional growth fund is that it does not provide a strategy for the regions. A company applies for a grant, and if they get it that is fine, but if they do not, they do not. The fund is led not from the regions but from Whitehall; it should be renamed the Whitehall growth fund.

I have one or two questions for the Minister to which I hope he will reply. They concern the delay experienced by companies in receiving the money for which they applied in the first round—hopefully, they will not have the same problems this time round. The issue seems to concern the need for due diligence. Under the previous Administration, except in complex cases, the regional development agencies would be responsible for due diligence and absorb the cost. I have asked the Library to look into the matter, but as I understand it, under the present regime, due diligence has to be secured and paid for by the applicant out of the grant. Is that a reason for the delay in companies receiving their funding? Why are we asking applicants to find someone to look into issues of due diligence, and why does money for that come out of the grant? Under the old system, that was not the case.

In conclusion, one of my concerns as a north-east MP is that although the Scottish Development Agency exists north of the border, there is no similar body in the north-east. People say that regional development agencies are a waste of money and so on, but I would defend One North East, which has been very good. If something ain’t broke, don’t fix it—it was a major mistake of the Government to abolish that RDA in the north-east, especially when one exists north of the border. In the south of England, the number of companies in distress or facing bankruptcy are in decline, while in the north-east, they have increased by 20%. There are concerns in the north about the strategy. The second round of applications to the regional growth fund has finished. What will happen between now and the next election as far as regional development and regional grants are concerned? It seems that there is no strategy on that. I am especially concerned about the issue of due diligence because that may explain why delays are occurring, and I hope that the Minister will respond on that issue.

Trade Union Officials (Public Funding)

Debate between Phil Wilson and Lord Wharton of Yarm

Wednesday 26th October 2011 Commons Chamber

[Phil Wilson]

Speaking as somebody who in the early 1980s was a member of the Civil and Public Services Association and received facility time to work as a trade union representative, may I say that where I worked was 90%-plus union organised, and we did not have any strikes? We had a great working relationship in the building, because we could sit down and talk through problems with the management, who enjoyed it. If we started where the hon. Gentleman wants, we would end up where part of my union ended up. In 1984, the CPSA was banned from GCHQ—

[James Wharton (Stockton South) (Con)]

On a point of order, Madam Deputy Speaker. Should Opposition Members declare their interest if they have received union funding in their capacity as Members of this House, or for political campaigns, before making interventions? I would be grateful if you could clarify the rules on that matter.

Hospital Services (North-East)

Debate between Phil Wilson and Lord Wharton of Yarm

Tuesday 27th July 2010 Westminster Hall

[Phil Wilson (Sedgefield) (Lab)]

Thank you for giving me the opportunity to speak in the debate, Mr Sheridan. I want to make a business case for the Wynyard hospital based on its effect on the local economy, because the Government’s decision is short-sighted. The new hospital was to be sited at Wynyard park—a 700-acre business park owned by Wynyard Park Ltd that has created more than 1,000 jobs in the past five years. Fifty-five companies have moved on to the site, and the hospital would have been a catalyst for further private sector investment and jobs. The Government go on all the time about the need to rebalance the north-east’s economy, and the Opposition agree with them. One way to do that and to help generate private sector investment would be to invest in infrastructure and public sector hospitals, such as the one that the Government have cancelled.

The cancellation of the hospital came on the back of the announcement about housing benefit. The former Chancellor said that we would take £250 million out of housing benefit through reforms, but the present Government want to take out £1.8 billion, which would greatly affect areas of County Durham. In addition, just under 100 schemes have been cancelled under Building Schools for the Future, which is a problem not just for education, but for construction jobs in the region. On top of that, the regional development agency is to be abolished. It has played a part in work on the Wynyard site and the foundation hospital, and it has tried to attract investment into the area.

[James Wharton]

I understand the hon. Gentleman’s terminology when he says that the RDA will be abolished, but is it not rather the case that it will be replaced by more localised local enterprise partnerships, which will deliver better for local people in communities across the north-east?

[Phil Wilson]

Actually, it is being abolished—that is what is happening.

I want to make two points about the RDA. First, it invested £2 million last year in attracting inward investment. On the basis of that money, it attracted £720 million of inward investment into the north-east—82% of inward investment into the region comes through the RDA, so if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. Secondly, in preparation for the hospital development, the RDA organised meetings between the foundation hospital and overseas firms to see whether those firms would come on to the site.