Oral question asked in the House of Commons, by George Mudie (Labour). It was answered on Tuesday, 6 December 2011 on behalf of the Treasury.

Regional Investment

Question: A recent report by the Institute for Public Policy Research suggested that the economy in London and the south-east will recover by 2014, but that Yorkshire's economy will take until 2018 and that of the north-east until 2020. In view of those figures, does the Chief Secretary not regret abolishing the regional development agencies and giving the successor bodies less than half the money?

Answer: No, I do not, but I share the hon. Gentleman's view that the unbalanced nature of the economy that we inherited from the previous Government is a serious problem, particularly for regions in the north of England. That is why in the autumn statement and the spending review we prioritised additional infrastructure projects—on the roads, on the railways, and so on—with a particular focus on his part of the world. I hope that he will welcome those sorts of developments.

Secondary information