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North-East England: Socio-Economic Prospects

My Lords, I congratulate the noble Lord, Lord Bates, on securing this debate and on his choice of subject. Indeed, it is a pity that in only five minutes it is not possible to pick up on many of the points that he very eloquently made. I pay tribute to his commitment to the north-east and I found myself in agreement with many of the points that he made. It was good that he referred to Joseph Swan. It is tragic that Joseph Swan, unlike that other brilliant inventor Edison, was not quite so good at publicity. For that reason, Swan’s reputation is not really appreciated, even here in the UK—never mind world wide. I very much echo the noble Lord’s points about Joseph Swan and his wonderful contributions. The noble Lord and I have long been associated with Gateshead in the north-east. Perhaps he would join me in paying tribute to what the Gateshead local authority has achieved in recent years in the wonderful facilities that it has given to the region as a whole on the Gateshead side of the banks of the River Tyne, and to the way that Gateshead has shown that not only do we have successful firms in the region, but we actually have successful local authorities, which could very well be described as public entrepreneurs. It is also good that Newcastle and Gateshead have increasingly joined together in recent years and that, instead of looking at each other with a degree of antagonism across the River Tyne, they now work very closely in partnership for the good of their residents in both localities, and for the good of the region as a whole. It is also refreshing that a member of the Conservative Party recognises the importance of regions in this country, as well the importance of towns, cities and rural areas. I hope that the noble Lord will use his influence—particularly with his Front-Bench colleagues in another place—to raise the profile of regions such as the north-east and make sure that they have appropriate structures, such as regional development agencies, to promote future regional and economic prosperity if that party comes to be in a position of power. By holding this debate at a time of economic downturn, following the dramatic financial turbulence of the past year, all of us who are attached to the north-east will be concerned that the region does not disproportionately lose out and is not disproportionately adversely affected by our economic difficulties. I hope that my noble friend can be reassuring on this point. All of us here will remember the terrible experience of the 1980s recession in the north-east, which was possibly unique in that all its industries went into steep decline at the same time—coal, steel and shipbuilding. The current economic downturn, so far, feels very different from that; but none the less we need to ensure that the north-east can come through it strengthened for the future, not weakened. The north-east has many strengths. I was struck by the fact that it has a positive trade balance and an export-led economy, while retaining an important manufacturing base, which the noble Lord, Lord Bates, referred to. The Government have also channelled resources into the region, particularly in health and education, and I have seen the dramatic effects of that expenditure on the area of the north-east that I used to represent in another place. In five minutes it is not possible to raise all the issues that I should like to, but I conclude on two—one very local, one regional. The first concerns a highly successful firm in my former constituency which, unusually for the north-east, has its research and development base as well as its manufacturing there. It is concerned about current migration rules which might hinder it in training a small number of overseas graduates each year. While there is no time to explore this issue in detail, I should like to write to my noble friend about it and ask if she could look into it, in support of my honourable friend in another place. The second issue concerns the repatriation of the Lindisfarne Gospels to the north-east of England, for which there has been a vigorous cross-party campaign for a number of years, which the former Bishop of Durham, the Right Reverend Michael Turnbull, to whom I pay warm tribute, was active in pursuing in your Lordships’ House. There have been many improvements in the north-east, and much help from government; but we need to do more to make sure that the region prospers in future. That will be good news for all its residents, as well as for our country as a whole.