Join the great debate

Parts of the North's business community has warned that the Government's plans for regional assembly amount to no-more than the creation of an `empty talking shop'.

Making the assembly a body which will make a real difference to the economy and lives of ordinary people in the region - is a challenge for both.

For the Government the challenge is to give the assembly, should the region vote for its creation, strategic powers over transport, learning and skills, and the Small Business Service.

Employers warn of a skills crisis threatening to slow the North's economic development. This is in part because the Government's national education and training plans are a poor fit for our region.

The Small Business Service, likewise, could only be improved by a little more local knowledge.

Controlling transport would give the assembly a chance to reflect our own needs for the first time, rather than lose out because the case for much needed improvements to roads such as the A1 are only assessed in national terms.

The challenge for business is to engage in the lobbying around this debate - and the opportunity comes at next week's North-East Chamber of Commerce meeting. Business has the chance to create an assembly blueprint that largely reflect its own priorities.

It cannot rightly condemn the blueprint if it passes on the opportunity to do this.

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GM crops are in a spin

Science will not provide the final court of appeal in the debate over whether genetically modified crops should be cultivated here. The confidence of ordinary consumers will.

For that reason we are concerned at this week's claims that the Government has already effectively decided to give GM crops the go-ahead.

A leaked report suggests `careful presentation' - surely a euphemism for `spin' - will be used to sell the decision to the public. This would support the fears of Newcastle scientist Dr Carlo Leifert, who resigned from the commission on GM food claiming it was pre-conditioned to back the technology.

There are a significant number of farmers in our region, who see GM crops as a logical step forward. That may well be the case - and rigorous and independent scientific evaluation may in time reach that conclusion.

But we pity the humble consumer, unconvinced whether GM food is safe but wanting to put the right foods in the shopping basket for their children. They will be left to scour labels more carefully and seek organic alternatives, if the budget stretches that far.

While shoppers remain cynical or confused it does nobody any favours to rush ahead with GM cultivation, least of all farmers hoping to make a living from such crops.

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