Public sector hasn't been cast adrift

Jun 16 2010 by Andrew Hebden, The Journal

MUCH has been made of the North East’s heavy reliance on public sector jobs over recent weeks as the spectre of funding cuts looms large.

So it seemed a little at odds with the prevailing sentiment to be celebrating the creation of 140 new jobs in the public sector, as was the case at the launch of the Marine Management Organisation – MMO – in Gateshead yesterday.

Before the official proceedings got underway, I was chatting to several other guests and the conversation inevitably came round to the subject of how the MMO would be affected by the impending cuts.

Thankfully, our concerns were soon put at ease by the new Parliamentary Under-secretary for Natural Environment and Fisheries, Richard Benyon. He went out of his way to stress how the MMO had the full support of the new Government and outlined his vision of it becoming an “exemplar of what a government agency should be”.

If, by that, he means lean and efficient, the MMO certainly seems to tick that box. This new organisation has a vast remit with responsibilities ranging from fishing to renewable energy to mineral extraction, and yet is staffed by just 140 people. It is housed not in a shiny new landmark building but rather in some existing offices at Scotswood Business Park.

At its head is chief executive Steve Gant, an environmental scientist who joins from Accenture, where he spent 13 years working on public and private sector projects around the globe. His credentials for the demanding role ahead look impressive.

The MMO was yesterday variously described as “dynamic”, “customer-focused” and “world-leading”. Nicholas Crane, the geographer and journalist best known as the presenter of the hit TV series Coast, described the organisation’s creation as a “defining moment in our island’s history”.

It will play a crucial role in how our marine environment develops at a time when the focus on environmental issues and on the sea’s potential as an energy resource has never been greater.

The MMO is going to become an agency of enormous significance, and having it here on our doorstep is a major coup for the North East.

Andrew Hebden - The Voice of nebusiness
andrew.hebden@ncjmedia.co.uk