Dr Ashok Kumar

Labour Party | Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland

ASHOK KUMAR WELCOMES ADDITIONS TO GOVBERNMENT LIST OF ASSISTED AREAS – “A KEY TOOL FOR REGENERATION

Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland Labour M.P., Ashok Kumar, today (October 11th) welcomed the news that the Government had revised its list of areas eligible under the terms of ‘Assisted Area’ status to include two wards in his own constituency

The new map of Assisted Areas will now include Loftus and Guisborough – areas that were previously not on the map.

Ashok said “This may look like a technical matter, but it is not. Assisted Area status is vital for a local company if it is to qualify for valuable grants both from the European Union and from our own Government – not least in DTI grants to boost employment and investment programmes. Loftus and Guisborough had previously not featured on the Assisted Area map and this had barred DTI Regional Selective Assistance going – for instance – to Cleveland Potash’s Mine at Boulby, which employs some 900 people and underpins many hundreds more local jobs and many local companies.”.

“This addition to the map means that, if the Government’s final proposals are accepted by Brussels, Cleveland Potash will now be able to bid for such assistance to underpin its own expansion plans. This would also be the case for other companies based in Loftus and Guisborough, such as the Esco foundry in Guisborough.”

“I, together with Cleveland Potash managers and employees, have lobbied Government Ministers over a long period about righting this anomaly, and I am pleased that we have been listened to by Government. It’s a good day for East Cleveland.”