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Scotland ?should consider North East'

Scottish ministers could be forced to consider the impact of their work on the North East economy under a series of new proposals.

The report from The Northern Way also urges a closer link-up between the region and north of the border, with investment in energy, tourism and transport seen as a way of boosting the recession-hit economies of both.

The Northern Way has told experts looking at the effects of devolution there should be a legal obligation for Scottish MPs to “reflect” economic masterplans in place across the border.

This could mean combining resources on areas such as offshore wind, oil, energy and high speed rail.

Northumberland County Council leader Jeff Reid said: “What we need is an economic highway that links not just Tyneside, but industry in Teesside with Edinburgh and up to Aberdeen.

“We are already in talks with the Scottish authorities about this and it obviously would help if ministers in Scotland had to ring us up and run ideas past us. There are a lot of similarities between us, there are businesses in Blyth servicing oil companies in Scotland and there is the potential here to work together during difficult times and create jobs.”

The North East Chamber of Commerce also contacted the Commission on ScottishDevolution to urge shared investment in areas such as road and rail links.

A submission by the chamber stressed the way in which Scotland will benefit financially from improvements to routes such as the A19 and A1.

Ross Smith, the chamber’s head of policy, said: “It is vital that we do all we can to develop trade links between the North East and Scotland, particularly as Edinburgh is our nearest capital city. This needs careful consideration as to how measures such as taxation could impact on regions which border Scotland.”

The full report can be found at www.thenorthernway.co.uk/news.asp?id=683.

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