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Prime Minster praises NE response to globalisation

Tony Blair yesterday pledged to overhaul Britain’s “outdated and bureaucratic” planning laws, and praised business leaders in the North East for their successful response to the challenges of globalisation and emerging economies of India and China.

Speaking at the CBI North East annual dinner, the Prime Minister said he was “increasingly concerned” that major infrastructure and investment projects were being hampered by a “hopelessly bureaucratic” planning system. He told the 500 business leaders at the black tie event: “We need to ensure we bring our planning laws in line with something approaching the 21st century. I can tell you one major future piece of legislation will be a Bill to significantly simplify the planning system in this country. “We need to work with business in order to make sure it works properly.”

Mr Blair also told the business leaders that the UK needs to adapt to the challenges of globalisation and, as a North East MP since 1983, he was proud of how the region had moved from traditional industries like ship-building and mining towards hi-tech industries such as bioscience.

The dinner, at the Gosforth Park Hotel in Newcastle, was hosted by CBI Regional Chairman Jamie Martin, managing partner at law firm Ward Hadaway, and sponsored by the regional development agency, One NorthEast.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ruth Mitchell .