A DELEGATION from East Lancashire is heading for the House of Commons next week to call for millions of pounds to help local industry battered by heavy job losses.

MPs, council bosses and industrialists willmeet a Government minister to put the case for assisted area status. The Government is currently reviewing the assisted areas scheme, which enables companies in deprived parts of the country to apply for special grants. The campaign is being held against a backdrop of major job losses in East Lancashire over the past year.

Blackburn has had assisted area status for many years and it has helped create hundreds of jobs.

As well as putting its own case for its status to be renewed, Blackburn has joined forces with other authorities in East Lancashire to lobby for the whole area. Council leaders have already put their case to local MPs.

Hyndburn MP Greg Pope, Government whip for the Department of Trade and Industry, has set up the meeting between parliamentary under secretary of state Michael Wills and the delegation on Monday. He said: "Being awarded assisted area status would help attract new industry into East Lancashire and promote sustainable emp loyment policies.

"We know, however, that we face and uphill struggle given that new European Rules mean that the government is having to reduce the number of areas covered by one fifth.

"However, I am delighted to have secured this meeting with the Minister and this top-level delegation will do its utmost to press the case for East Lancashire."

In Blackburn, council chiefs believe the loss of assisted area status would be a severe blow to the local economy. Many local employers have successfully applied for hundreds of thousands of pounds-worth of funds for relocation or expansion.

For example, the recent decision by Rectella to relocate to Blackburn, bringing 500 jobs, was partly helped by grants under the scheme.

Council chiefs believe there are a number of factors which make East Lancashire need more help, including:

Decline of manufacturing industry

Low pay rates

Fewer new business start-ups than in other parts of the country

High unemployment among 16 to 24-year-olds

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.