15/04/2012 Sunday Politics North East and Cumbria

In the North East and Cumbria: Steelmaking returns to Teesside and

there's more investment at Nissan. Are they pointers to the region's

Apology for the loss of subtitles for 1745 seconds

Will it be a yes or or ran off. We invite the campaigners to make

their case. As well as the latest good news for steelmaking, good

news for Nissan. My guest Sark Ian Mearns, and Mary Trevelyan and Neil

Bradbury. This week, Cumbria County Council

closed one care home or while keeping two Coppin. The majority of

councils have stopped running care homes.

A partial victory for campaigners from west Cumbria. 10,000 people

signed petitions to close three care homes. Cumbria County Council

changed tack and voted to keep two or pin. She is 96 and deserves that

right to live where she chooses. She will be pleased. The news

delighted staff at Richmond Park which has also staying open. I am

extremely disappointed that would Lyons is closing. It does fantastic

work. We are devastated. I am delighted that Richmond Park will

stay open. The reprieve goes against a pattern of closing public

sector homes. No us has never been about saving money, it is about

Updating care for the elderly. have pleased some residents and

their families by keeping two homes Open. Have they ducked the

important questions? You went through this prop -- process. Has

Cumbria abduct a decision? That is the duty of local government. Every

council must decide what is right for them. They have made the right

decision for them. In Northumberland, we made the right

decision on care homes. Then we ticks the decision on day-care. We

are moving care provision and to the voluntary sector. We are able

to provide more care for more people. It has been a great success.

The problem is that you get a lot of flak. It is a traumatic

experience potentially far older people. Is a resolution. You do not

get awards for making these decisions. It was a hard process.

There was a lot of vigorous debate but that is good. Looking back,

from my experience, people are happy with the change. There were

fears and concerns, understandably, from people who had used the

facilities for a long time. It is understandable and easy to support

can make -- campaigners. Is that always the right decision? In the

case of what has happened in Cumbria, the two homes that have

been reprieved are popular. I hope that it is the right decision for

those people and for their families. I think that other models need to

be explored. The council in Gateshead, the voluntary sector and

what we produced was a better example. I think it is worth

investigating what else is available. Is there a danger that

when councils get out of this sector, it is the private sector

that takes over? The there is always a danger. It is the

responsibility of the Care Quality Commission to make sure what is

there is of good quality. We have seen in the early part of this year

problems with capacity because of decisions taken by the Secretary of

State. You campaigned and were you not wrong in the end? I think the

issue that is difficult is that the people we are talking about who

need protection by councils are the very elderly, those with dementia a

book is people are living longer. At 70, I hop to be fit and healthy.

When I and 85, there will still be a need for people who do not have

family. They need to be protected. Keren the warm is fine to a point.

For councils to make sure that the people who are most vulnerable are

protected. We neglect people latter peril. Can the private sector can

be trusted to look after old people? The operators are keeping

on top of what is going on. Northumberland has a very good

provision in South -- in place. That is something that the part of

the Social Care Bill really needs to look at. We pay more are in

Northumberland than another places. He it is pointing out -- worth

pointing out that almost 600 Care Commission inspections were

cancelled. In two weeks time, voters in Newcastle will choose

whether they want an elected mayor in the city. Campaigning has been

low-key. To hear both sides of the argument, I went on a journey

across the city with two campaigners, one each from the Yes

and No camp. The corridors of power, this is where Newcastle is governed.

Voters will decide next month whether they want an elected mayor.

Time for the campaigners to make their cases. Most people are more

concerned about their pavements and bins. I wonder whether electing a

mayor will make a difference. There will be a focus on whether people

are more concerned with bigger issues. 25 % of people can name

their council leader. Leaders are picked from smoke-filled rooms. 57

% of people who have an elected mayor can mean that Meir. --

elected mayor. One difference could an elected mayor make? Could an

elected mayor be the answer? having elected mayor in place,

there will be the power to take for word he regeneration areas which

will be important to our economic future. The problem is that it is

in private ownership. If that -- if elected mayor has millions in his

back pocket, he can pit that into the city. We need more private

money in place for more regeneration. This area struggles

to get regeneration off the ground. I question the record of elected

mayors making a difference. Next stop, the bus station. London's

make a -- elected mayor has a great power over travel. I cannot imagine

how an elected mayor would make the buses run on time. If we got told

Bruce on the time, that would be bad. Greater powers over charging

policies to reduce charges on public transport in order to get

more people on them. At the moment, I cannot see how an elected mayor

in Newcastle could help. We need greater levels of public

transportation. That voice is not being heard because there is no

voice. The quayside next. Many of's juice diction will stop here. A if

we missed the autonomous, if people decide not to bought foreign

elected mayor, we will have no civic voice making a big argument

to government. In terms of politics, there is parochialism and I wonder

whether there will be support. is clear our campaigners will never

agree. Voters need to decide what a think by May 3rd.

Ian Mearns, which we would you vote? I would be against the idea

of having an elected mayor. When the Cabinet system came into power,

there was a lot of discussion about the transparency of the decision

making process. How do you make it transpired when one person is

deliberating on their own. Frankly, the power in London can supply to

places like Newcastle. There is a better model. I would vote Yes in

favour of unelected mayor. If you want to speak to the City, who do

you fawned? My casting notice for know. We have gridlock between the

Conservatives elected mayor under cover -- a Labour elected council.

-- Labour council. Without a lot more powers, I am not convinced of

this argument. Another part of the North East, I would vote to know.

It means nothing. Newcastle has the final vote.

David Cameron's visit to Nissan in Japan gave us a good present. This

week, up more at a news. SSI on Teesside.

The region's David Cameron was that the Japanese headquarters to hear a

hatchback will be built at its North East factory. The news that

Nissan will be making a new hatchback and Sunderland will

create thousands of jobs. We can encourage investment in Britain.

But first I run for conversion into steel is due to be produced by the

Redcar blast furnace of next week. SSI was described by local MP as

the birth of a new industrial you This former Sunderland MP has died

at the age of 87. Ian Mearns, we are overwhelmed with

good economic news. I wish you were right. The news is very good, but

it does not offset the significant job losses we have had. In the last

two years, we have lost 60,000 public sector at jobs. Really?

is really the figure. We have seen significant job losses in the

private sector as well. The local economy is having money sucked out

of it. We are delighted about the other things. Hasn't the Government

putting its money where its mouth is? The gate fund money to SSI. --

gave. Any money of that nature is welcome, but it is nowhere near

what was available from the development agencies. The transport

infrastructure development is still needed. No one wants to be churlish.

We talked that anyone in the office Cook -- everyone in the office

could end up working for Nissan. is a valid point. I do not think

that is the case. There is huge growth on Teesside. There is

enormous development. What if it is not enough? We can always ask for

more. We need to continue lobbying for money to help invest in our

small and growing companies. Let us be honest, the package that George

Osborne is bringing together is to make sure corporation tax rates are

the lowest they have ever been. We're still �4... One don't want to

get into that today. We're seeing investment and it isn't --

fantastic. Is there a danger some parts will be left behind? We do

not want to fool ourselves that it is all good news. There is bad news.

I am convinced that with Alcan, the Government did all it could. It

wasn't to be. That is the case sometimes. I am encouraged that we

have seen from the regional growth fund, job-creating industries.

Mearns, what does the reopening of the blast furnace mean? It is

recognition that we have a ready made steel workforce. There is a

problem with investment. I am afraid to say that the British

economy has a lack of confidence. The private sector in Britain today

are sitting on three-quarters of the training that it used to have.

I think we see that again. The Government is trying to draw that

investment. In housing, there is a lot of change in policy. Thank you..