PLANS to bring thousands of civil service jobs to Teesside have been "eagerly" considered thanks to the "raw power" of the region's representation in Parliament.

Detailed plans to bring thousands of civil service jobs to the North East, including Teesside, have been "eagerly" considered by Julia Lopez, Parliamentary Secretary to the Cabinet Office, the House of Commons has heard.

Speaking in the Commons last week, Mr Young said: "The purpose of moving civil service jobs out of London is not to simply relocate jobs from one part of the country to the other, but to place policy makers in communities that have been left behind for too long, like mine in Redcar and Cleveland.

"Can my honourable friend confirm that she has seen the plans presented by Ben Houchen, to relocate civil service jobs to Teesside?

"And will she commit to meeting with me and my Tees Valley colleagues to progress these plans further?"

Mrs Lopez said: "I have heard the Mayor of Teesside mentioned in this place perhaps more than any civic leader in the country, and I find myself in awe, once again, of the raw power of the Teesside parliamentary caucus.

"I am pleased to say that I spent last night eagerly reading the Mayor’s plans for the international campus in Teesside, and I particularly enjoyed the value-for-money comparisons with the London housing market.

"I understand that he has already met the lead official for Places for Growth, and I will be asking for an update on those discussions so we can make sure that the north-east benefits from this agenda."

The Government is considering proposals to relocate as many as 49,500 roles as part of its levelling-up agenda.