AN East Lancashire MP has urged Government ministers to bring high quality, well-paid jobs for graduates to the area as part of the drive to improve housing.

Peter Pike said the only way to tackle the problems of decaying derelict homes was to ensure there were enough people with the money to improve or buy them.

He spoke out in a Commons debate on housing called by the Conservatives.

And the Burnley Labour man went on to urge bosses at Elevate - the body behind the regeneration of run-down homes across the region - to play a part in bringing more attractive jobs to the area.

He told Shadow Housing Minister Caroline Spellman that despite 18 years of Tory government and visits by 13 ministers nothing was done to tackle the problem.

He said it wasn't until Labour came to power and this year set up the Elevate Housing Pathfinder Renewal Programme, which has £103million to spend over two years, that any attempt was made to improve the quality of and demand for homes.

But Mr Pike told Housing Minister Keith Hill: "In Burnley we are beginning to tackle the housing problem but the fact that industry is increasingly based in the south, or even in Europe, means there are fewer jobs in areas such as mine, especially jobs that will attract people who have been away to university.

"Does he agree that that is a very serious problem in areas of low housing demand?"

Mr Pike was supported by Tory MP for South West Bedfordshire, Andrew Selous, who said: "You make a sensible and powerful point. You want local jobs to go with proper housing. We need a proper relationship between housing and jobs."

Mr Pike, who is determined to keep Burnley and East Lancashire's housing need at the centre of Westminster debate, added afterwards: "We need more well-paid, high-tech, skilled jobs that will attract people who have gone to university.

"Only if we have a better range of better paid jobs, including more white collar jobs, will we have the sort of people who will want more expensive, better homes.

"Elevate has targeted not just housing but the wider regeneration of the economy to assist in improving the quality of housing. Good jobs are vital to that and more must be brought to the area."