RIBBLE Valley Nigel Evans is on a week-long tour of America -- after joining a Commons committee just four days before it set off.

The Conservative is looking at manufacturing industry in the United States and was today in Atlanta, Georgia.

He started the journey on Sunday in Los Angeles and is finishing up in New York before flying home on Saturday.

Mr Evans joined the Welsh affairs committee at the Commons on Thursday so he could take part in the trip to look at US manufacturing and the implications it might have for the economy of the principality.

His journey follows Burnley MP Peter Pike heading for the Caribbean with an all party parliamentary group and Hyndburn Labour backbencher Greg Pope's trip to Iran last week with the Commons foreign affairs committee.

Blackburn MP Jack Straw is also a regular overseas traveller in his capacity as Foreign Secretary. Speaking from Atlanta, Mr Evans said: "This is an important trip in my capacity as shadow Welsh Secretary but it could also be vital to help do my job as an East Lancashire MP.

"We are looking at what lessons can be learned for manufacturing in Wales from what happens in the US and visiting American companies which have subsidiaries in the principality.

"But it could also have important implications for East Lancashire. Manufacturing is very important to the area and to many of my constituents. Some of the firms we are visiting may also do business in East Lancashire.

"We need to learn all we can from the American experience to try and ensure that this important industrial sector thrives in East Lancashire, Wales and the whole of the UK. Many jobs depend on it."