Use EU money to create jobs in Bristol

12.00.00am GMT Tue 16th Dec 2008

With unemployment rising rapidly in Bristol urgent action is needed to stimulate the local economy, says Prospective Lib Dem MP Paul Harrod.

Local Councils, along with the RDA, should work with businesses and social enterprises to create new jobs in priority areas such as environmental technologies and infrastructure development.

"Millions of pounds is available to this region through the European Regional Development Fund, (ERDF). I am calling on this money to be focused on job creation, with an expansion of public works programmes, and investment in environmental technology businesses and services.

"We can no longer manage rising employment by simply matching people to vacancies. We need to be more proactive.

"European Development Fund money has, in the past, been treated as additional money to try new things, or to experiment.

"During the current economic crisis we need to get back to basics.

"This money should be used to stimulate the Bristol economy by creating jobs. We may need to look at bringing forward spending provisionally allocated for future years of the programme.

"The ERDF funding is worth 250 million euros over the next four years. It could be the catalyst for other investment from the local Council, from central Government or even from local businesses through 'matched funding.'