One Year On, West Midlands Regional Minister Sets Out 10 Challenges for Year Ahead
To read Liam's speech in full please click here.
Liam Byrne MP, Minister for the West Midlands, today celebrated a ‘new spirit of ambition’ in the West Midlands in his first ‘one year on’ report to the region.
Speaking to regional leaders in Birmingham, the minister announced the results of Government delivery deals covering billions of pounds of public spending for the next 3 years negotiated with local councils and their partners, celebrated the key breakthroughs for the region of the last year and set out ten key challenges to bring new jobs and new homes to the West Midlands.
The minister revealed tough negotiations by Government have secured agreements with local authorities and their partners to:
• Get 30,000 people off benefits and into work – in the next three years alone – equivalent to two thirds of the region’s long-term goal
• Train nearly 250,000 additional people to the standard of five good GCSEs (level 2) by 2011 - three times the target set earlier this year
• Birmingham, Coventry and Staffordshire alone are committing to help create 59,500 extra trained to level 4, degree-level qualifications.
• Grow new businesses; every single strategic authority has signed up to at least one [new] business target
• Cut carbon emissions from the West Midlands by 4.3 million tonnes by 2011, against the 2005 baseline, putting the region well on course to meet the 60% reduction target by 2050.
Commenting, Liam Byrne MP said:
“This region has made a choice; not to be modest, but to sign-up to an ambitious spirit. To build a region that is not only richer, but fairer.”
Reviewing the work of the last ten months, Mr Byrne celebrated breakthroughs on each of the priorities – on transport, trade, reputation, skills and science - he set out last August.
“On transport, we not only have our first ever list of priorities agreed by all, but the breakthrough of a half a billion pound deal for New Street station.
“On trade, we not only will we soon have our first ever India action plan, but the breakthrough of Tata’s deal on Jaguar Land Rover – the best bridge in Britain to that great growth market of the future
“On reputation, we have a clear new focus on digital media and the breakthrough of Channel 4’s £50 million digital media commissioning fund to be headquartered in the region.
“On science, we have our first ever blueprint for a new alliance between universities and the NHS.
“And on skills, not only do we have the UK’s first regional skills plan, but the breakthrough of the UK’s best performing apprenticeship programme and Train to Gain service. Half of the UK’s companies signing the skills pledge are from the West Midlands. “
Mr Byrne revealed 60% of public service employers in the region covering over 100,000 employees had signed up to the Minister’s public sector skills pledge challenge, by far and away the best performance in the UK.
The minister then set out ten personal priorities for the year ahead:
• Drive to establish new universities for the West Midlands
• Acceleration of Regional Skills Partnership to get 30,000 of benefits
• Creation of a £130 million regional Manufacturing Technology Centre at Ansty
• Acceleration of National Low Carbon Vehicle programme to be led by Advantage West Midlands
• New region-wide Digital Media Group, chaired by the regional minister to put the West Midlands at UK’s cutting edge
• Green business programme to ensure regional businesses – especially rural - understand opportunities in the new low carbon marketplace.
• New Regional International Business Forum, co-led by Regional Minister to oversee the coordination of international business activity
• Final blueprint for regional transport; to finalise arguments for major new transport infrastructure. Priority for airport, road and rail, and Black Country Transport Spine
• New homes drive by new Homes and Communities Agency
• Kick start for Stoke and North Staffordshire regeneration plans. The Regional Minister will continue to strive to be ‘the best friend that Stoke and North Staffordshire has in Government’.
Finally, the minister launched an urgent review into how the region brings forward a new generation of ethnic minority, women and disabled people to the region’s top tables. Karamjit Singh will run a major regional inquiry into how to promote a bigger presence of ethnic minorities, women and disabled people into the region’s leadership positions.
After delivering his speech, the minister visited the North Solihull Regeneration partnership to see plans unfolding for an estimated £1.8 billion investment in the North Solihull area over the next 15 years, improving 12,500 homes and building 8,500 new ones.
The Minster’s 10 priorities are:
1. New universities for the West Midlands. Mick Laverty, Chief Executive of Advantage West Midlands and Christine King, the Chair of the West Midlands Higher Education Association will draw up proposals for how the West Midlands should rise to the University Challenge for new universities, set by the Government
2. Acceleration of Regional Skills Partnership to: drive forward developments in train to gain; recruit 10,000 additional 19-25 year olds on the work-based Level 3 programmes; and see a reduction in the number of people claiming out-of-work benefits of over 30,000
3. Drive to establish a £130 million regional Manufacturing Technology Centre at Ansty to pioneer high tech manufacturing
4. Acceleration of National Low Carbon Vehicle programme; to be led by Advantage West Midlands, to make sure region helps lead new generation of green cars.
5. New region-wide Digital Media Group, chaired by the regional minister to bring together businesses with university research facilities to ensure West Midlands leads UK digital media innovations
6. Green business. AWM commissioned to organise a major thrust to ensure regional businesses understand opportunities in the new low carbon marketplace, especially in West Midlands' rural heartland.
7. New Regional International Business Forum, co-led by Regional Minister to oversee the coordination of regional international business activity. New Action Plan on China to sit alongside Action Plan on for India.
8. Final Blueprint for Regional Transport; priority to develop expansion of Birmingham Airport; make sure the major highways and rails grades connects with our growth plans; and ensure the case is developed and put forward for the Black Country strategic transport spine
9. New Plans for Homes; Regional Minister to work with Government’s new Homes and Communities Agency as it is established in the West Midlands to make sure it understands the region’s ambitions for a revolution in the availability of affordable housing and genuinely mixed communities
10. Priority for Stoke and N Staffordshire. The Regional Minister will continue to strive to be ‘the best friend that Stoke and North Staffordshire has in Government’, supporting the ambitious plans now in place for a renaissance in the place that did so much to make our region the cradle of the industrial revolution.
