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Peugeot (Coventry)

The hon. Gentleman has got it wrong, because assisted area status is only one lever. One reason why the area could not be considered for such status was the improvement in gross domestic product and the reduction in unemployment that it has enjoyed. However, and as I have said to the many Members who have expressed concern about the loss of assisted area status, in the round, such status provided about £200 million-worth of investment last year, and it provides eligibility for investment and state aid. Last year, the regional development agency spent some £2.2 billion to £2.3 billion. So this Government are choosing to invest a lot of resources—we go not for tax cuts, but for real investment in jobs and people. A lot of money is available and I hope that Advantage West Midlands, working with local MPs and with us, can put it to good use in the area and bring back that site. One reason why I visited the west midlands was to address the issues faced by another site—the old Marconi site, which has been mothballed for far too long. I wanted to ensure that we can work through the planning difficulties and those arising from the involvement of many different authorities, so that we can release the site and enable it to become productive and to provide jobs and manufacturing input.