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Speech to the Northern TUC

In a speech to the Northern TUC, Nick Brown has criticised Newcastle City Council for its failing social care plan. Nick said that the Council’s decision to slash backroom staff had led to a deadly shortfall in social work. The Newcastle East MP accused council chiefs of disguising cuts as “efficiency savings”. As part of its [...]

Further Investment to Build Schools for the Future

In September, Nick went to Walker Technology College to see their new Cadet Centre. Walker Tech was one of only six schools across the country to be awarded the scheme two years ago, and, together with the Walker Councillors, Nick fought hard to get the original funding for it. That’s not the only way the [...]

Official Opening of the Great North Museum

Last week Nick joined the Queen at Barras Bridge for the official opening of the Great North Museum. Over the past few years the old Hancock Museum site has benefited from a £23m upgrade. With everything from a planetarium to a lifesize T-Rex, the new exhibition is expected to bring 300 000 visitors a year, [...]

Nick Brown Defends Regional Development Bodies

Nick Brown has criticised threats to cut the North East’s development and training funding. The Lib Dems have suggested they would cut money used to support One NorthEast and other regeneration groups, while at the same time slashing the budget for the export guarantee credit department. Minister for the North East Nick Brown said the [...]

Nick Brown Criticises Council’s Failure to Bid for Government Housing Funding

Over 2000 new council houses will be built in every region of the country following a £127m Government cash boost announced today. But Nick Brown has criticised Newcastle City Council for failing to even put in a bid for a share of the money. 47 councils across the country were told today that they would [...]

Nick Promises to Find Way Forward for Byker Wall

Nick Brown has promised to find a way forward for refurbishments to the Byker Wall after Newcastle City Council’s bid for PFI funding was rejected. The Council had applied for PFI cash from the Homes and Community Agency to help fund a £210m revamp of the Byker Wall. But a letter from Housing Minister John [...]

Government Money to Cut Council House Rent Increases in Half

Nick Brown MP today welcomed Housing Minister Margaret Beckett’s announcement that the Government will step in to halve council housing rent increases for this April. The government’s intervention means that Council house residents across the North East will not have to pay above inflation rent increases, as long as councils bid for the money and [...]

Boost for Schools in Newcastle Will Help to Boost Economy

Nick Brown MP has welcomed news that schools across Newcastle will get extra funding this year. As part of the Government’s efforts to support local businesses and jobs through the recession, millions of pounds of spending on school buildings and repairs are being brought forward from 2010/11 to 2009/10. Every school in Newcastle will benefit [...]

Improving Local Government in the Region

As part of my role as Government Minister for the North East I’ve had the chance over the past year to see how much the region has changed and how forward-looking our new economic base is.   I’ve visited the New and Renewable Energy Centre out at Blyth – one of the world’s leaders in the [...]

In Defence of Adult Learning

In the early 1980s when I was a Walker Councillor I can remember discussing with Councillor Norman Stockdale the reasons why there was hardly any involvement of our Walker constituents in adult education in the east end of Newcastle. We thought then that there were probably three main reasons for this. We thought that the [...]