On Monday, 80 businesses from across the West Midlands were invited to meet with Vince Cable, Secretary of State for Business Innovation and Skills, to talk about what the Government needs to be doing to help them.
The meeting was arranged by Mark Garnier, MP for Wyre Forest and Ian Austin, MP for Dudley, as part of the All Party Parliamentary Group for the Economy of the West Midlands. Hosted by Birmingham law firm, Gateley LLP, the meeting was an example of the work the APPG is doing to help businesses from across the region come together. Representatives from many of the Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEP) also attending included Peter Pawsey, Chairman of the Worcestershire LEP.
On this occasion the Secretary of State attended in a listening capacity as many representatives from local businesses aired their views. He then went on to give details of government proposals to help business through a series of measures. These included lowering business taxes, reduced regulation, improving access to finance for small and medium sized businesses, and more apprenticeships.
Mark Garnier said: "The local economy in Wyre Forest is incredibly important and for that to be successful, we need the region to be successful. That is why I am working with Ian Austin and other MPs from all parties across the region to generate economic prosperity. Vince Cable gave us a very good hearing and he has taken back with him many views about the delivery of promises and how difficult it is to grow prosperity. But this was also an opportunity for the new LEPs to start to work together and I am delighted that it went so well."