§ 15. Mr. Steve McCabe (Birmingham, Hall Green)If he will make a statement on the activities of the regional development agency in the west midlands. [124003]
§ The Minister for Local Government and the Regions (Ms Hilary Armstrong)Advantage West Midlands has been in existence for just over a year. A major activity in that time has been the production of the west midlands regional economic strategy which was endorsed by its partners in the region. Another important task was leading the Rover task force at the request of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry. It is due to produce its final report at the end of June.
§ Mr. McCabeWill my right hon. Friend join me in congratulating Mr. Alex Stephenson, the chairman of Advantage West Midlands, and his colleagues on their speedy and efficient work on behalf of the taskforce established in the wake of the BMW-Rover crisis? Will she also confirm that in its first full year of operation, Advantage West Midlands has been responsible for attracting record levels of direct foreign investment to the west midlands, resulting in 5,000 new jobs and safeguarding a further 9,500 jobs in the region? Does that not demonstrate the value of such agencies, and is it not an argument for nurturing and strengthening them, rather than sniping from the sidelines or threatening to dismantle them as the Opposition do all too often?
§ Ms ArmstrongMy hon. Friend is absolutely right. The regional development agency enabled people in the west midlands to work together under an organisation that already had an extensive network in the area, and the chairman of AWM, Mr. Alex Stephenson, to lead an effective response to the announcement from BMW. In addition, because the regional development agency has drawn the task force together and developed its work, the west midlands is now well placed to take that work further, to make sure that the response is not what we originally saw in respect of Rover and to develop a sustainable strategy for the future of car manufacturing in the area. Indeed, I can confirm its outstanding success to date. Everyone involved—including those who associate with the Conservative party and who are now involved with regional development agencies—thinks that the Conservative party has totally lost its way and is wrong to talk about getting rid of regional development agencies.