Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott has given his blessing to Yorkshire Forward's ten-year strategy to make the region more prosperous.

He enthusiastically endorsed the Yorkshire and Humber regional development agency's plans for more economic regeneration and promotion of business competitiveness and investment, skills development and job opportunities, rural enterprise and higher environmental standards.

But while basking in the praise, Graham Hall, Yorkshire Forward's chairman has called on the government to ensure that his organisation has adequate funding for the task.

Mr Prescott's praise came at a meeting in Derbyshire attended for the first time by all eight of Britain's agency chairmen as well as government ministers representing the DETR, the Department of Trade and Industry and the DFEE.

He said that the strategy, titled Advancing Together Towards a World Class Economy presented "a well-structured framework for promoting economic development and competitiveness in Yorkshire and The Humber, addressing both the strengths and the weaknesses of the regional economy."

And he told Graham Hall, Yorkshire Forward's chairman: "We now look forward to seeing the action plans and to further discussions with you in the future.

"The Government Office for Yorkshire and the Humber will continue to provide the focus for ongoing dialogue as your strategy develops and is reviewed."

Mr Prescott singled out for praise Yorkshire Forward's identification of the need for early action to tackle under-performance and social exclusion as well as the importance of rural agencies working together to tackle the needs of business in the countryside.

He also patted the agency on the back for its proposal to grow the region's exports by developing a Regional International Trade Plan and its plan to create a "virtual regional intelligence unit" for on-line information.

Mr Hall said work would also now begin on implementing community-based regeneration programmes, developing the Humber Trade Zone, establishing an e.commerce region and making market towns the centres of rural enterprise.

It would mean building on successes already achieved by Yorkshire Forward since work began last April, including:

l creating nearly 3,000 new jobs and safeguarding a further 1,000 from overseas investors.

l overseeing 12 skills development fund projects worth almost £3 million providing training for more than 1,300 people and advice and support for more than 450 businesses

l launching through its development fund a bidding process for rounds six and seven of the government's single regeneration budget which could provide £1 billion for expenditure on communities in the region.

But he hoped that the government would fund the task adequately.

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