A GOVERNMENT minister was given an insight into Burnley's manufacturing industry -- and, in return, gave a commitment to its future.

Alan Johnson, a Department of Trade and Industry Minister for employment relations, went on a guided tour of Perseverance Mills, a textile manufacturer that employs more than 200 people.

After meeting company representatives Mr Johnson spoke about his department's commitment to manufacturing.

He said: "There has been a loss of manufacturing jobs in Burnley like a lot of other places, but overall unemployment has fallen 22 per cent, the lowest level since the early 1970s.

"During the 1980s and '90s business did not invest in machinery and skills, to some extent through lack of Government help. That is changing completely.

"Manufacturing is important to this Government. Governments do not always say that things are going to get better just for the sake of it.

"We have 75 per cent of people of working age in work. We have to use that to help manufacturing, because manufacturing does matter and it is not being left behind by this Government."

Burnley MP Peter Pike said: "We have lost some good jobs in Burnley, but we live in a different time where technology means manufacturing employs less people. I worked in the Philips group when 3,500 people worked at the Simonstone site, now only 320 work there."

Mr Pike added that 36 per cent of the working population in Burnley are employed in manufacturing and that was one of the highest percentages in the country.

"We still have highly skilled jobs at Hurel Hispano, at AIT and a lot of Burnley people work at BAE Systems in Samlesbury," said Mr Pike. There are fewer people unemployed in Burnley than there have been in over 30 years."

Mr Johnson later met with Burnley Labour Party representatives at their headquarters in Victoria Road.