Bradford MP David ward set to play key role

Mr Ward, who won the new Bradford East seat for the Liberal Democrats at the general election, is to take part in an inquiry into how the new Local Enterprise Partnerships that will replace the RDAs will work.

The former Bradford councillor has been appointed to the Business, Innovation and Skills Committee, whose first inquiry of the new Parliament will be into LEPs.

It will examine how the proposed new structure will work.

After announcing LEPS at a Cabinet meeting held in Bradford last month, ministers are consulting business, councils and others about what they think should happen locally.

Their feedback must be received by Monday, September 6, before a white paper outlining the new enterprise structure is due to be published.

Mr Ward said the select committee would hold four hearings into LEPs which would influence the final outcome. The committee is seeking written evidence before Friday, August 13.

He said Business Secretary Vince Cable had asked to be kept informed of how Bradford businesses think the local LEP should work .

David Ward is planning to hold regular breakfast sessions with firms in his constituency to keep him up to speed with what grass roots businesses people are thinking.

He said: “I am very keen to listen to business in Bradford East, which has a high concentration of manufacturing firms in the wedge between Leeds Road and Manchester Road. I’m looking to hold morning sessions over a bacon buttie or croissants.”

The MP, who has an MBA business qualification from Bradford University, opted to join the business select committee due to his own experience as an accountant and later as a lecturer in strategic management at Leeds Metropolitan University.

Yorkshire Forward has confirmed that 450 staff have been invited to apply for voluntary redundancy and have until August 3 to register their interest.

More than 100 projects worth £40m are to be delayed or cancelled.