LIB DEMS SUPPORT WORK OF ONE NORTH EAST

12.00.00am BST (GMT +0100) Wed 21st Oct 2009

Lib Dem Autumn Regional Conference 2009

North East Lib Dems voted to support the region's development agency One North East at their regional conference in Gateshead last Saturday.

Sir Alan Beith MP, who proposed a policy motion in support of One North East, said:

"Labour has left the regional governance of the north east in a mess and dominated by unelected bodies. One North East does a good job in promoting regeneration in our region and this is recognised by the business community and local authorities. We need to develop it into a more accountable body with good financial control to make sure public money is well spent but this region needs the agency's work to continue to put right historic problems and equip us for the future.

"There is no 'one size fits all' solution to regional development agencies. Here in the north east we happen to have a relatively successful and hard working organisation which has been instrumental in pushing the region's interests at a national and European level."

North East Euro-MP Fiona Hall, who works closely with One North East at a European level, said:

"One North East has been instrumental in helping the North East to transform into a centre of green and innovative technology. Infrastructure investments such as a charging point network for electric cars need to be planned at a regional level. One North East has also been successful in building links with European regions, funding bodies and industries - all vital for creating green jobs here."

ENDS

NOTES TO EDITORS:

Full text of the motion proposed by Sir Alan Beith MP and passed by the Lib Dem North East Conference on Saturday 17th October 2009:

"This Conference recognises the importance to the north east, particularly in securing recovery from recession, of the work currently done by One North East: notes the support for this work from local authorities and businesses in the region, in contrast to development agencies in some other regions; and believes that it should be continued on a more publicly accountable basis working in co-operation with the region's local authorities, private sector and voluntary organisations."