Dari Taylor MP

Vera Baird (Redcar) (Lab): What assessment he has made of the effects on regeneration in the Tees valley of port expansion at Teesport.

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (Jim Fitzpatrick): Mr. Speaker, as you know, my right hon. Friend the Deputy Prime Minister is unable to be present at Deputy Prime Minister questions today, as he will be representing my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister at Prime Minister's questions. [Interruption.] I am sure that my right hon. Friend the Deputy Prime Minister will be pleased to hear the welcome that he receives even before he arrives in the Chamber.

I can tell my hon. and learned Friend the Member for Redcar (Vera Baird) that the northern way action plan launched in Gateshead on 20 June sets out clearly the wider economic benefits that would flow from the development of the facilities at Teesport—for the Tees valley, the north and the UK as a whole.

Vera Baird: I thank my hon. Friend for that answer. The project is indeed a big one, capable of generating around 7,000 jobs in a sub-region where unemployment is still twice the national average. Is he aware that similar applications for port expansion at Felixtowe, Harwich and London could have a major impact on the viability of Teesport's proposals? Will he confirm that our interests will be part of the context in which those applications are considered? Will he do his level best to help us to help ourselves to get a thriving deep-water container port at Teesport, and a huge economic boost for the Tees valley?

Jim Fitzpatrick: I hope that my hon. and learned Friend and the House will understand that I cannot pre-empt or comment on specific planning proposals. However, I am confident that Teesport has a strong future supporting international trade and regional regeneration. I note that the urban regeneration company Tees Valley Regeneration has a successful track record, having spearheaded the creation of more than 12,000 jobs and inward investment of over £500 million over the past eight years. I note too that she and other colleagues are expecting to meet my hon. Friend the Minister of State, Department for Transport later this month. I am sure that they will continue to press the case for Teesport as effectively as they have done already.

Ms Dari Taylor (Stockton, South) (Lab): There remains an output gap of £29 billion between the north and the rest of the UK. The south-east economy is considered to be overheating, so does my hon. Friend agree that the development of a deep-sea container port at Teesport would be an important step towards closing the north-south divide?

Jim Fitzpatrick: The forthcoming review of ports policy by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Transport will address the key questions relating to port capacity and future port development, and the wider issues. They include environmental factors, local regeneration, productivity and the role of ports in our overall transport strategy.