James Ramsbotham, Chief Executive, North
East Chamber of Commerce said: “It is very positive to see the North East
Combined Authority pressing ahead with a devolution deal, just as the
Tees Valley is. The North East has huge assets including our export
record, energy expertise and world class sectors such as subsea and
automotive. Our economy, however, is still performing below its potential
and it is clear we need to do things differently. Devolution is an important
part of that.
“This deal will allow us to tailor
policies in areas like skills and infrastructure investment to the economic
condition of the North East. We need to harness all the expertise in the
region to make a success of this, and we will be working with our elected
representatives in the months ahead to ensure the business community can make a
strong and positive contribution.”