24 September 2004
Ministers have launched a drive to tackle joblessness and social exclusion in the same week that a £100m fund was announced to boost the economies of northern English regions.
Regeneration minister Jeff Rooker outlined a range of measures on September 21 to tackle the spiral of deprivation that has left some areas with high rates of unemployment.
Rooker said social landlords would also get government guidance on how to create more mixed communities. Help, such as child care or business start-up advice, would also be available.
In addition, more community-based advisers would be recruited to get people back into work and to persuade unregistered businesses to become legitimate enterprises.
'We want to make sure the benefits of record employment are felt in every neighbourhood in England,' he added.
The previous day, Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott announced a £100m Northern Way growth fund to kick-start the local economies of cities in the four northern English regions.
Prescott said the money, which is being channelled through the northern Regional Development Agencies, was intended to attract new investment and create jobs. It will be used to fund business start-ups and investment in transport infrastructure.
The fund is partly intended to counter criticisms that the government is not doing enough to bridge the North-South economic divide.
Speaking at the launch in Leeds, Prescott said: 'The gap has been there for over 50 years. What we are doing is giving notice that we want to change that.'
PFsep2004
