THE North-East deserves “a lot more investment” and would do “very well indeed” if given the resources handed to other parts of the country, the Archbishop of Canterbury said today (Thursday, January 9).

The Most Reverend Justin Welby, until 2013 the Bishop of Durham, said the North-East was a “really great” part of the country and “so successful in many ways”, highlighting the new Hitachi train factory in Newton Aycliffe and other developments on Teesside.

But he appeared to call for further investment for the region, saying: “When you look at the relative investment in other parts of the country and in the North-East, this area merits, from its skills, a lot more investment.

“This is an area that’s easily transformed and if it gets the resources that other parts of the country are getting it will do very well indeed and be a major contributor.

“It’s still the only part of the country that has a trade surplus and we really need that.”

The Archbishop’s comments were welcomed by James Ramsbotham, chief executive of the North East Chamber of Commerce, and Roberta Blackman-Woods, Labour MP for Durham City.

Mr Ramsbotham said the region had punched above its weight for a long time, delivering a great deal more for the “UK PLC” with a lot less investment than other areas – particularly in infrastructure.

“Our region is an unrealised asset, bursting with potential. Our message to this Government and the next one is very clear: empower us and we will deliver so much more to boost economic growth and show the rest of the country just what our region is capable of.”

Dr Blackman-Woods said the Archbishop was absolutely right and the region needed more investment in its infrastructure to help its economy grow.

The North-East received a “tiny fraction” of that spent on London and the South-East, the MP said.

Chancellor George Osborne has insisted the North-East is crucial to creating a stronger national economy and has a significant role to play in the Government’s Northern powerhouse vision, highlighting £290m-worth of investment in the region’s roads including the A1 and A19, £20m for a Newcastle-based ageing research centre and a new National Formulation Centre at NetPark, County Durham.

The Archbishop was in the North-East to receive an honorary Doctorate of Divinity from Durham University.