HC Deb 11 January 1995 vol 252 cc134-5
2. Mr. Hawkins

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what measures he is pursuing to increase inward investment into Lancashire.

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Industry and Energy (Mr. Charles Wardle)

The Department continues to work with all local partners, including Inward, the regional development organisation, encouraging them to develop sites and premises of the quality and variety that will attract foreign-owned companies in the future.

Mr. Hawkins

I thank my hon. Friend for that answer. Will he take all the steps that he can to ensure that companies are told about the excellent opportunities that exist based on the high-tech abilities of the work force in the Fylde coast area of Lancashire, including Blackpool, based on the success of companies such as British Aerospace, ICI, British Nuclear Fuels and many others in the area and based on the computer skills of the civil servants in the local Information Technology Services Agency? Will he continue, with his colleagues, to work with the Fylde Partnership and other organisations doing their best to bring inward investment to my constituency and the surrounding area?

Mr. Wardle

My hon. Friend is right to emphasise those points. He will know that the Fylde Partnership is doing a great deal to attract new technology to the area. The Government office is of course in regular contact. I know that my hon. Friend has invited the regional director to visit him in Blackpool for discussions, and I hope that he will encourage Blackpool borough council to join Inward. By way of background, he might like to know that the Invest in Britain bureau lists 30 projects, four of which are in Lancashire, with 2,100 jobs in the north-west. With my hon. Friend's help, no doubt more emphasis will be placed on Blackpool.

Mr. Pike

Does the Minister recognise that, although Burnley is being assisted by the KONVER programme, many parts of Lancashire—high-technology, high-skilled areas—are losing jobs as a result of the defence reductions? We need to project Lancashire as a highly skilled area and attract the right type of investment, using those skills to create jobs for the future.

Mr. Wardle

The hon. Gentleman will know that the provisional list of areas eligible for KONVER 2 in Lancashire includes Burnley, Preston, Pendle and Fylde, but there is scope for additional areas to be nominated by 1 March. Representations will be considered carefully.

Mr. Mans

In connection with inward investment into Lancashire, when do the Government propose to rejoin the future large aircraft consortium? When is it likely that we will start to contribute money to that project, bearing in mind its importance to Lancashire and the north-west generally?

Mr. Wardle

My hon. Friend may be aware that we recently announced our intention to rejoin the consortium.