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Rachel spoke in the commons yesterday about her concerns for the future of Regional Development Agencies, including our own Yorkshire Forward. The coalition government is determined to cut RDA's calling them "a waste", yet Yorkshire Forward and other RDA's have done brilliant work across the country; aiding businesses to stay afloat during the recession, giving support to keep people in work and now stimulating the economic growth that we need to recover from recession.

You can watch Rachel's speech during the House of Commons debate on Government Support for Industry on Parliament TV by clicking here.

Rachel spoke passionately to defend the work of RDA's and of the importance of promoting economic growth. She spoke of her concerns that the coalition governments planned cuts will lead to a double-dip recession, damaging industry, causing business failures and job losses, leading to an even higher budget deficit and arguing that what we really need is growth. Growth from strong and diverse regional economies, which relies on the government supporting industry in all our regions - as RDA's do.

Rachel also spoke of Yorkshire's proud industrial and manufacturing past and the strong industry we have in our region today. She called upon the government to give local people and businesses control over their economic future. Control that will be taken away by cutting RDAs. Yorkshire Forward has already been forced to make £44m worth of cuts by the coalition government, as reported here in the Yorkshire Evening Post.

Rachel said today, "I am very disappointed that the government are committed to cutting the budgets of Regional Development Agencies, like Yorkshire Forward, when they have made such positive contributions to local industry and local people. Regional Development Agencies would aid our economic recovery, contributing to the growth of new industries and building a new, stronger economy. By cutting the RDA's the government is putting our economic recovery even more at risk"