AN outgoing MP says figures showing a big leap in the number of businesses operating in his constituency is evidence that current Government policies are working.

Ian Swales’s Redcar constituency outperformed the rest of the region during the duration of the last Parliament.

At the start of Parliament in 2010 – when the Coalition Government was elected – there were 1,775 businesses trading in Redcar.

That had increased to 2,353 last month, a 32.6 per cent increase.

Figures compiled by company records management firm www.infodirect.co.uk – which used data from Companies House – showed some of the region’s poorest areas performing well in supporting businesses, including Hartlepool (26.9 per cent rise) and Stockton North (25.1 per cent rise).

Liberal Democrat Mr Swales said: “I am not surprised Redcar is at the top of the pile, it’s a complete contrast to the previous 13 years of Labour rule.

“We have got a vibrant Tees Valley Local Enterprise Partnership and the Government has been piling money into the area courtesy of the Regional Growth Fund.

“I have personally tried to be much more positive and ambitious for the area. I think one of the problems for Redcar is that we talk ourselves down far too much. I have seen businesses based in Redcar who have previously gone away come back again and that can only be a good thing.”

Informdirect used information on businesses formed in the past five years and dissolved in the same period, as well as growth in companies in that time.

It said nationally 48 per cent of firms trading in April 2010 no longer existed now.

But overall, the picture in the North-East and North Yorkshire was more positive than negative.

The only constituency to experience a drop in the number of businesses operating was Labour MP Pat Glass’s constituency of North West Durham which has seen a number of big factory closures.

She said: “The situation in North West Durham has been made so much worse than neighbouring areas in the last year because of the large number of full-time job losses.

“Nearly 400 full-time jobs have gone in Consett alone at Hassockfield, KP Snacks and Nanpak. These have been personal tragedies not only for the people involved, but for the whole constituency.”

To find out more and check how your constituency performed see the full table at www.informdirect.co.uk