Sharon used the opportunity of Business, Innovation and Skills Questions to call into question the Government's knowledge of the North East and seek clarification after the Chancellor - during his Budget Statement - said that there would be a new 'Enterprise Zone' on Tyneside, whereas the official documents merely stated that there would be one in the whole North East.

Although the Minister failed to answer the question, a few moments later he further underlined the point that Conservatives don't know much about the North East when he tried to claim that Salford was in the same area as Sunderland.

Speaking after the exchange, Sharon said: "I was seeking clarification after the Chancellor got his geography mixed up; what I got was further confusion, with the Minister apparently believing Salford is in the North East too.

"What I do know is that the Chancellor was wrong to say there would only be an Enterprise Zone on Tyneside - it's not his decision to make, and there are plenty of other areas in the North East, including Sunderland, which deserve close consideration too."

"It's also clear that some of these Ministers have very little knowledge of the country north of Watford Gap, so it's no wonder that their policies and cuts will hit our areas the hardest."

The exchange went as follows:

Mrs Sharon Hodgson (Washington and Sunderland West) (Lab): What discussions he has had with the North Eastern local enterprise partnership on the location of proposed enterprise zones; and if he will make a statement.

The Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (Mr Mark Prisk): Last Thursday, I was in the north-east and met the North Eastern local enterprise partnership. We had a very useful discussion about the way in which enterprise zones will help the growth of the local economy and I was encouraged by the positive response I received.

Mrs Hodgson: I am very pleased to hear that the Minister got a positive response-I would expect nothing less of the friendly north-east. The Chancellor said in his Budget statement last Wednesday that there would be an enterprise zone on Tyneside, but the Red Book refers to an enterprise zone in the North Eastern local enterprise partnership, and I am sure the Minister is aware that they are not one and the same. The Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change told the Sunderland Echo that Sunderland had a really good chance of getting an enterprise zone. Will the Minister confirm that the Chancellor misled the House last week and that a decision has not yet been made on where-

Mr Speaker: Order. I am sure the hon. Lady means "inadvertently" misled.

Mrs Hodgson: Of course, inadvertently.

Mr Prisk: Well, I am glad we cleared that up, Mr Speaker. I can make it very simple for the hon. Lady: we are not going to impose a command and control model. We are working with local enterprise partnerships and we have offered zones where LEPs would like to locate them within their areas. We will discuss this with partnerships in the north-east and elsewhere.

.....

Mr Nicholas Brown (Newcastle upon Tyne East) (Lab): Is not the danger of the Minister's enterprise zone policy that it enriches landlords and developers by drawing economic activity from one area to another? When considering locations for the north-east, will he focus on the creation of jobs in industrial areas?

Mr Prisk: We are absolutely committed to doing precisely that. I am sorry that the right hon. Gentleman is quite so negative; at is not what they are saying in Sunderland and Salford.

The full exchange can be viewed on Parliament TV, or read in Hansard.

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