IT was extremely disappointing to read in The Northern Echo (Jan 12) that the full £60m of the Tees Valley Industrial Programme will fall short by £18m.
This money was to create new businesses, to diversify into new industries like the low carbon economy, increase apprenticeships, create 3,000 jobs and sustain a further 10,000.
By withdrawing this £18m the Government is flying in the face of its own economic strategy, which is to create more private sector jobs to compensate for losses in the public sector.
Nick Clegg’s comment that the coalition would not hang the North-East out to dry when it came to public service cuts is sounding very shallow indeed.
Comments by Ian Swales, MP for Redcar, are just smoke and mirrors to confuse people into thinking that the new Regional Growth Fund will substitute for the Tees Valley Industrial Programme.
Councillor George Dunning, leader Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council.
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