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Employment: North West Region

Volume 461: debated on Tuesday 12 June 2007

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will break down by employer the number of jobs safeguarded or created as mentioned on page two of the Northwest Development Agency’s Improving the Economic Performance of England’s Northwest document, dated February 2007. (140087)

The NWDA does not collect data in the form requested. The agency has safeguarded or created 161,208 jobs between 1999 and 2006 as reported in the Improving the Economic Performance of England’s Northwest report. The breakdown, by Regional Economic Strategy (RES) theme, is as follows:

Employment 1999-2006

Number

Business Growth

Exploiting the growth potential of business sectors, for example through cluster programmes and international trade

19,476

Improve the competitiveness and productivity of businesses

Providing high quality business support, supply chain development, management and work force development, and exploiting the region’s knowledge base

23,569

Urban, Rural and Economic Inclusion

Implementing the Urban Regeneration Companies, regenerating deprived areas, brownfield land, housing, implementing the Regional Rural Recovery Plan and market towns, encouraging social enterprise, start ups from ethnic minorities, community finance and addressing barriers to work

105,986

A Healthy Labour Market

Improving adult basic skills, the demand for and participation in learning, graduate retention, and the integration of business support and skills development activities

698

Strategic transport, communications and infrastructure

Identifying and championing the implementation of strategic transport initiatives, preparing a Regional Transport Strategy, supporting Regional Planning Guidance, broadband and regional cities

833

Employment sites

Securing the development of strategic regional sites and a portfolio of sub-regional and local employment sites

10,106

Image

Regional marketing programmes, culture, tourism and major events in the region

540

Total

161,208

Of the 161,208 jobs, 100,283 jobs were created or safeguarded between 1999 and 2002. Examples of some of the larger inward investments from this period include:

Company

Jobs created/safeguarded

MBNA

1,200

HJ Heinz

1,300

QVC

100

Vauxhall

850

Fujitsu

1,000

Ryder Group

470

The following table provides a breakdown, by year, of the 28,965.5 jobs created or safeguarded through inward investment projects 2002-06.

New jobs

Jobs safeguarded

2002-03

8,143

1,558

2003-04

4,400

6,539.5

2004-05

3,214

2,389

2005-06

1,872

850

Total

17,629

11,336.5

Examples of some of the larger inward investments from this period include:

Company

Jobs created/safeguarded

MBNA

2,000

Caudwell Communications

1,000

INEOS Chlor

3,500

Bentley

886

It is not possible to provide a full breakdown by employer as this information is confidential and commercially sensitive.