ROSSENDALE MP Jake Berry flew the flag for East Lancashire businesses in Westminster.

Mr Berry asked the minister for business and enterprise what steps his department was taking to promote regional growth in Rossendale as well as the North West.

Responding, Michael Fallon said the Government was committed to devolving economic powers to local areas.

He said through the first four rounds of the Regional Growth Fund programme, the North West had received 83 awards valuing £430million.

Private sector investment in the first four rounds had totalled £2.4billion and 92,000 jobs were to be created and safeguarded, Michael Fallon added.

Mr Berry said: “It is fantastic to see the Government backing businesses here in Rossendale and Darwen.

“Now the economy has turned a corner, we are perfectly placed to take advantage of economic growth.

“We have already seen evidence of this with the 20 per cent fall in unemployment in the last 12 months.”