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Lords' debate talks of 'North/South' divide

Lord Bates, a North East peer, has raised a debate in the House of Lords over the future of the region.

The Conservative peer raised concerns about the differences between the North and South of the country, commenting on the North East’s ‘sustained and historic competitive advantage’, expressing his unease over the possibilty of the North’s looming economic downfall – asking if the Government could be doing more to increase the competitiveness of the region.

Lord Bates said: “I recognise that the Government cares deeply about the region, and many good things are happening. However, my criticism is that they have often failed to present the North East with the realities of the economic situation until it is too late and we are left with a series of abrupt social upheavals, rather than gradual adjustments to the new realities.

“The truth is that we need to ratchet up our productivity as a region, which should be through developing, skills, especially in apprenticeships, investment in physical capital, and “embracing competition as a driver of innovation and efficiency.”

North ‘leading the way’ in renewable energy

Commenting on the North’s manufacturing and low carbon technologies, he added: “Today, a third of all UK pharmaceutical production happens in the North East… The Biofuels Corporation operates the world’s largest biodiesel plant at Seal Sands. The largest bio-ethanol plant is operated by Ensus.

“All in all, the North East Process Industry Cluster employs more than 40,000 people directly, most of them in highly skilled engineering posts.”

After the debate, Chris Pywell, Head of Strategic Economic Change at One North East, said: “The announcement that England’s largest biomass power station is to be built in the region is yet more proof that we are leading the way in this field.

“There are also significant advancements in areas including new and renewable energy, low carbon energy and electric vehicles which indicate that North East England is ahead of the game and well positioned to benefit from new national and international investments that are being made.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ruth Mitchell .