Gordon Brown pledges to help North East thrive

Feb 14 2010 by William Green, Sunday Sun

Asked about the Government buying a stake in TCP, he said: “I don’t think that this is an issue.

“I think the issue is whether we can find a buyer that is prepared to take Corus’s work on Teesside over.”

On potential financial support for any bidder, the Prime Minister said: “I don’t think you can expect us to do anything other than say that we are prepared to help the company and to work with any potential buyer.”

And he pointed out the Government had put together a £60m aid package to cope with the planned mothballing of the Corus plant in Redcar.

The Prime Minister also praised the Sunday Sun’s “terrific” Air Angels Appeal to raise £1m in order to buy a helicopter to join the ranks of the Great North Air Ambulance.

Thanks to readers, the amount raised has already exceeded £270,000.

“I have got utmost respect and gratitude for the fantastic work carried out by air ambulance men and women and your campaign is a terrific way to promote their great work,” said Mr Brown.

He said patient care was one of his top priorities with the Government supporting a wider range of community initiatives.

The Prime Minister added: “Air ambulances have a role to play in delivering emergency care especially in rural and remote areas.

“And it has been the practice in the past that they are not entirely funded by the NHS.

“The NHS normally meets the cost of clinical staff on the air ambulance.

“But it is up to NHS trusts to decide whether they provide any additional funding to air ambulance charities over and above that.

“So your campaign is a terrific way to promote their work.”