COUNCIL bosses in East Lancashire are to meet with the Government in a bid to drive up the region's wages.

The news comes as a new survey by the Halifax revealed workers in one East Lancashire borough are among the lowest paid in the country.

Average weekly earnings in Hyndburn are £378 making it the fifth worst area in England for low pay.

And improving wages will be a key goal when Lancashire County Council and Blackburn with Darwen Council present the Government with a series of projects to help improve East Lancashire.

They feel better housing, better transport links and better business parks will help attract new firms offering better wages.

Blackburn with Darwen has actively sought to attract white-collar jobs -- such as the 500 created by Capita in Blackburn and Darwen -- to try and improve wages.

A report to this week's executive board shows that average wages in the borough have risen 20 per cent in the last five years, compared to a 17.1 per cent rise nationally. However, they remain lower than the regional average -- £399 per week, compared to £437.

Speaking about the low pay, Hyndburn MP Greg Pope said: "This survey is not telling anything we didn't already know -- that East Lancashire and Hyndburn in particular are areas of low pay.

"This is one of the reasons why it was so important we brought in a national minimum wage to bump up pay and that is about to go up again.

"But these figures do show we still have a long way to go. We have got to be more proactive in tackling low pay and in how we transform the economy in East Lancashire.

"We have an old fashioned economic base, which we need to modernise.

"If we have a more highly skilled workforce and attract more highly skilled industries to the area then it follows levels of pay will increase.

"This involves industry and Government working hand in hand -- it is not a battle between the two."

Coun Peter Clarke, Hyndburn Council's portfolio holder for the economy and employment, said: "This doesn't come as any surprise to us. We're looking at ways to improve the situation and this is one of our priorities in the Councils Corporate plan. However, on a more positive note, our unemployment

levels locally are lower than the national average."

Meanwhile, the Halifax survey showed the highest wages were in Kensington and Chelsea, in London, where workers expect average weekly earnings of £1,252 -- more than three times the wage Hyndburn workers receive.

A second area in Lancashire also featured among the lowest paid areas -- Blackpool's average weekly earnings were said to be £383, making them eighth lowest.

People in Berwick-upon-Tweed, in the North East, have the lowest average weekly incomes at £302.

Overall, the survey underlines the existence of a north-south wage divide.

Nearly all of the 50 local authorities with the highest-average earnings are in southern England.

Average weekly pay in Rossendale is £499, Pendle £411 and Ribble Valley £536, according to the Halifax survey.