Gordon Brown gives North East a check list of promises

Jul 4 2009 by Adrian Pearson, The Journal

Adrian Pearson witnessed Gordon Brown’s question time session in Newcastle.

Newcastle East and Wallsend MP Nick Brown said he had no doubt the future for the region was in offshore wind technology.

Also putting the North East’s case to the PM was Graham Mason, from Newcastle International Airport, who tried to convince Mr Brown that his policy of imposing more taxes on flights was potentially very damaging to regional airports.

Mr Mason said to the PM: “I’m one of 3,000 people who work at Newcastle Airport, I think you recognise the problems with aviation, and the problems globally of climate change. But as a result of the recession regional airports are having a torrid time. Can you give us hope in our hour of need in terms of the proposed increases in air passenger duty?”

The PM said regional airports are “absolutely vital” but signalled no change of policy.

“They are vital but there is an argument about climate change and I think passengers have to make a contribution,” he said.

John Brewis from Seaton Sluice, Northumberland, whose wife Mary has incurable bowel cancer, asked the PM to intervene and end the postcode lottery denying his wife life-extending treatment.

In the hope of giving Mrs Brewis more time with her family, the couple have been forced to borrow more than £9,000 to pay for Erbitux, a drug widely available in Europe but denied to NHS patients in the North East.

Mr Brewis called on Mr Brown to honour a pledge to end the postcode lottery which sees some, but not all, patients offered life-extending cancer treatments on the NHS.

The PM said: “I think everybody will agree that when people are in need of treatment they get the best treatment available and that what is available in one part of the country should be available in another part of the country.

“The best thing I can do to help you is to ask Nick Brown to meet you and your constituency MP at the start of next week to see what we can do. I wish you both well.”

Nick Brown promised to raise the matter with Health Secretary Andy Burnham.

Page 3 - Modest Mullin planning more books >>