'Jam buster' in new jobs hope

Nov 17 2006 By Ross Smith And Helen Livingstone, The Journal

What they say about Go For Jobs

Sharon Hodgson, Gateshead East and Washington West MP:
"It's been an absolutely fantastic campaign.
"I think it has really made a difference. We've reached the highest levels of Government - I was able to explain it to Alistair Darling when he was Transport Secretary and you could see the penny dropping. I don't believe we're there until the A1 is a motorway, dualled all the way and three lanes on the Western bypass, with a totally integrated transport system, but we can be proud of what we've achieved."

Alistair Arkley, Northern Business Forum:
"I'm really pleased that everyone in the region is united behind this - the job The Journal has done has been excellent. But I'm disappointed by the slowness with which things seem to get done. We still have an unreliable transport system, and we need to keeping shouting about the critical priorities. Joining the North-East to the rest of the country by motorway is a start."

Dave Anderson, Blaydon MP:
"The work that's been done has been great in raising the profile, and we seem to be getting people listening, but we're a long way from concrete action. We have to keep going. If we don't make progress we'll just go backwards - we don't have the option to stand still."

Kevin Rowan, TUC Northern regional secretary:
"The issues of concern around the barriers to economic growth in the North-East are now much more well known and understood. But we do feel Article 14s are still restricting the region's development."

Alex Watson, North-East Assembly chairman:
"The North-East Assembly is proud to support the Go for Jobs campaign in its bid to redress the historical under-funding of the region's most significant arterial road routes.
"We believe there is a strong argument for changing the criteria on which transport allocations are made as these continue to disadvantage the region."

John Wright, Federation of Small Businesses North-East policy chairman:
"The FSB welcomes the progress that has been made in the Go For Jobs campaign.
If the Government believe in joined up thinking, how can we have one Government agency saying we need 22,000 new businesses in the North-East and another saying we can't have these developments in the region as it will cause congestion?"

John Lowther, Tees Valley Joint Strategy Unit director:
"The Highways Agency, in its responsibility for the strategic road network, is not working in developing the overall economy of the region. We still need to put pressure on so when they're consulted on issues they make a more flexible response and understand the bigger picture."

Mick Henry, Association of North-East Councils chairman:
"Improving the North-East's transport infrastructure is probably the single most important issue for the successful regeneration of the region, as it seeks to overcome the regional economic disparities that have seen it lag behind the rest of the country in terms of economic growth, wealth generation and regional competitiveness. Tackling congestion on the North-East's key roads and adequately addressing their capacity, quality and ability to link businesses, employment opportunities and communities is crucial for the development of the region."

Hugh Morgan Williams, chairman of Washington-based Canford Group:
"It comes down to money. If the Highways Agency allow these developments to take place, it's implicit they will have to improve the infrastructure.
"We need to keep the pressure on the Highways Agency, but also on the Department for Transport and the Treasury, because they hold the purse strings."

Page 3: Committed to investing in transport links