Britain succeeds when the Midlands succeed, MPs were told this morning.

The day after Prime Minister Theresa May delivered her Industrial Strategy Green Paper – promising that business needs would steer the Government’s Brexit negotiations – the discussion at Westminster Hall was about how the Midlands could help ensure Britain’s success outside the EU.

MPs taking part in the debate, secured by Chris White, Member for Warwick and Leamington, on behalf of the Midlands Engine for Growth, heard how the Midlands contributes to UK plc by championing the industrial, commercial, economic and cultural assets of the region.

The aim of the Midlands Engine, backed by 11 Local Enterprise Partnerships and East Midlands Chamber, is to support businesses in the region to realise their full potential and to promote the region to investors, both domestic and overseas, that the Midlands is a great place in which to invest.

The Midlands has a £209.9bn economy, generating 13% of the UK’s Gross Value Added (GVA) and is responsible for almost a quarter of the UK’s total manufacturing capability. About 4.6 million people work in the Midlands, accounting for nearly a fifth of the UK’s economy.

And the region’s universities, science base, global firms and supply chain networks are at the cutting-edge of research and innovation key to driving productivity growth, the MPs heard.

Derby North MP Amanda Solloway told the debate:-

“The success of the Midlands engine is incredibly important to me.

“In 2015, I was in attendance when the previous Chancellor [George Osborne] launched his vision for the Midlands Engine, a 15-year vision for our region.

“All who attended were excited at the potential benefits this plan would have on the region, creating hundreds of thousands more jobs, opening up more trade routes around the globe and making overall improvements to quality of life in the Midlands.

“The vision of boosting our regional economy by £34bn is a target we can reach, but to do so we must come together and cooperate across all sectors, private and public.”

Lillian Greenwood, MP for Nottingham South, said:-

“The Midlands Engine is all of us who stand up together to develop, promote and attract people to come to us to study, work and live in the East Midlands.”

She spoke at length about the benefits HS2 would bring to the region but then criticised Government for not committing to full electrification of the Midland Main Line rail route, which she described as “simply not good enough”.

Chris White, who led the debate, said that:-

“Developing a local identity can be a catalyst for success” but that advanced engineering, research and development and closing the skills gap would be integral to regional success.

Chris Hobson, Director of Policy at East Midlands Chamber, said after the debate:-

“We know what our strengths are in the East Midlands. What we need to do is make sure we realise the full potential of those strengths with investment from Government to support inward investment to the region and in infrastructure and connectivity such as HS2 and electrification of Midland Main Line.

“Yesterday, the Prime Minister announced the Industrial Strategy Green Paper with a strong focus on the Northern Powerhouse but the Midlands is the manufacturing and innovation backbone of the UK and that is a strength that the Government should be selling around the world.

“We have seen Government talk the talk, now is the time for it start walking the walk by delivering a full package of support for the Midlands Engine to ensure not only that it is attractive to investors but also that the support exists to help regional companies which want to diversify and start exporting.

“Midlands businesses are driving the economy and it’s time that Government recognised the achievements of regional firms and, through the Midlands Engine, backed their endeavours with a full package of support.”

Prime Minister Theresa May has given her clearest indication yet that the needs of business will play a prominent role in Britain’s negotiations to leave the EU.

Speaking at her first regional Cabinet meeting, in the north-west today, she launched a Green Paper setting out her Government’s planned industrial strategy for post-Brexit Britain.

It promises that Government will take an active role in backing business.

Central to the strategy will be new “sector deals” and “major investment” in research and development to support the “industries of the future” and create more high-skilled, high-paid jobs.

She told the regional Cabinet meeting that to succeed after leaving the EU the UK needs a strategy to create a group of new industries to challenge the companies of today.

Mrs May said:-

“The modern industrial strategy will back Britain for the long term, creating the conditions where successful businesses can emerge and grow and backing them to invest in the long-term future of our country.”

She said the Government would offer support to help firms address challenges specific to their industry including changing regulations to remove barriers to innovation, using trade and investment deals to increase exports and helping to create new institutions to provide leadership, support innovation and boost skills.

Life sciences, the transition to ultra-low emission vehicles, industrial digitalisation, creative industries and improving competitiveness and skills in the nuclear industry are among the first sectors expected to receive Government help.

The Industrial Strategy Green Paper, which will be subject to consultation before Ministers return with more specific proposals, also sets out ideas to bolster institutions in each part of the country to support that region’s specific strength.

That could involve building up local trade bodies, creating new educational institutions, making it easier for firms to access finance outside London or getting a stronger business voice into local government.

Scott Knowles, Chief Executive at East Midlands Chamber, said:-

“This is the strongest indication yet from Mrs May that she is listening to what our members are telling us they want, which is that business must be the focus of the Government’s Brexit strategy.

“Implemented correctly, the new Industrial Strategy has the potential to provide the strong foundation of business and Government working together to underline the development of a successful UK outside of the EU.

“With a plethora of OEMs, well developed supply-chains, world-leading academic institutions and a location in the centre of the country, the East Midlands is a key place for delivering this.

“Recognising the opportunities that Brexit will bring, our members are already on the front foot in terms of improving their competitiveness, developing new markets and investing in the new technologies and ways of working that will put them at the head of the pack for growth.

“Government backing for these businesses – that have time and again demonstrated their appetite for growth, regardless of events – will demonstrate to both wider UK plc and the rest of the world that the UK backs winners and continues to be a place for those wanting excellence in reliability and quality.”

Fundraisers are celebrating after the appeal to build the new NGS Macmillan Unit at Chesterfield Royal Hospital today passed £2 million. With the centre expected to be completed in Spring 2017, Macmillan is appealing for local people to help raise the remaining amount.

Currently cancer care and treatment is given from different clinics across the Chesterfield Royal hospital site, and the chemotherapy unit is no longer large enough for the number of patients it sees.  There is also only a limited information service.

The new state of the art centre will provide all cancer services and treatment in one place, delivered by a team of specialists. There will be an increase from 8 to 25 chemotherapy chairs / beds, plus a specialist Macmillan information and support service which will offer cancer information, benefits advice, emotional support and also signpost patients to other local services such as support groups.

Steve Loane, Area Fundraising Manager for Macmillan in Derbyshire, said:-

“Being diagnosed with cancer is the toughest fight many people will ever face, so I am absolutely delighted that we have hit the £2 million mark.

“The response from the local community has been incredible. We’ve had local companies, groups, clubs and individuals organise events and take on personal challenges to help us raise the money. We just need one final push to help us raise the remaining amount, so if you can get involved please get in touch with us.

“The National Garden Scheme donated £1.5 million towards the new centre. There are 70 gardens in the Derbyshire area and a portion of the money raised locally from all of these gardens openings has contributed to this donation to help the people of Derbyshire.”

Dr Roger Start, Lead Cancer Clinician at the Chesterfield Royal Hospital, said:-

“This is a really exciting development for the hospital, our patients and the local community.  By working in partnership with Macmillan we will create a really special cancer centre that will absolutely enhance the fantastic work our cancer teams do. It’s a massive ask but I’m convinced people will be behind the plans and fundraising campaign.”

Visitors to the Peak District and Derbyshire can now count on an even better on-line experience when looking for fresh ideas and inspiration before or during their visit.

Marketing Peak District & Derbyshire, the area’s official tourist board, has launched a brand new, easy-to-navigate website offering a wealth of information – everything from where to stay to what to do – whether they’re at a desk or on the move.

The simple-to-use new platform – unveiled this week to invited guests at Cromford Mills  – helps holidaymakers track down all the details they need to make their visit extra-special, including a wide variety of activities, events and the best places to eat and drink.

Visitors can now cherry pick their own individually-tailored itineraries thanks to a new planner tool, as well as tracking down a host of special offers on everything from accommodation to eating out.

Tourist board members and local businesses and organisations highlighted on the responsive new website can also expect a broad range of benefits, including:

• Improved search engine performance, driving even more people to browse the site
• A link to availability from online travel agents, allowing members to promote special rates and seasonal offers
• A new tool telling visitors ‘What’s Nearby’, revealing how close accommodation and other businesses are to key attractions

While the website has a clean, contemporary look to herald the start of a new year, the address remains the same – www.visitpeakdistrict.com – to ensure continuity and avoid confusion.

The tourist board’s user-friendly new website builds on the success of its previous one, which scored its best-ever results in 2016. More than 1.3 million people visited the site, which hosted around 1.8 million browsing sessions throughout the year – an increase of 20 percent on 2015.

Most visited pages were the home page, events, accommodation, walking and historic houses and castles – and there was a marked rise in the percentage of people using the site on mobile devices such as phones (more than 38 per cent) and tablets (almost 23 per cent).

Jo Dilley, Managing Director of Marketing Peak District & Derbyshire, said: –

“People are right at the heart of the best practice we have drawn on to develop our new website, so that visitors can access the information they need quickly and easily, whether they’re researching on a desktop computer before their visit or using a mobile device while they’re here.

“It’s specifically designed to build on the success of our previous website, and to be more mobile-friendly, to reflect the changing ways our visitors are accessing information about, and special offers in, the Peak District and Derbyshire throughout the year.

“As well as improving our on-line relationship with holidaymakers, its new features will also bring benefits for all our members, businesses and organisation showcased on the site – by attracting even more people to browse, take advantage of key promotions and check how close they are to some of our leading attractions.

“We’d love to hear from more businesses who would like to be part of the success of the new site as it attracts even more visitors to come and stay and spend more money to boost the economy in our world-class destination.”

Chesterfield based business, Cathelco, are supplying two of their systems for the latest Quantum class cruise ships to be built for Royal Caribbean Cruises by Meyerwerft in Germany.

The marine growth prevention and impressed current cathodic protection systems will be installed on the fourth and fifth vessels in the series which are scheduled to go into service 2019 and 2020.

Cathelco systems are already installed on the Quantum of the Seas which entered service in 2014, followed by the Anthem of the Seas in 2015 and the Ovation of the Seas which began operating last year.

The systems are designed to prevent bio-fouling in sea water pipework serving the main engines and ancillary systems. This involves fitting pairs of copper and aluminium anodes in the seachests which are wired to a control panel. In operation, the copper anodes produce ions which create an environment where barnacle and mussel larvae do not settle or breed, but are carried through the system to discharge. At the same time, the aluminium anodes produce ions which create an anti-corrosive coating on the internal surfaces of pipes.

Adam Rogers, Sales Manager at Cathelco, said:-

“The systems on these ships are some of the largest that we produce and are ideally suited to treating large volumes of sea water.”

Both of the new Quantum class ships will also be installed with Cathelco systems to protect the underwater hull surfaces against corrosion.

In operation, the reference electrodes measure the electrical potential at the hull/seawater interface and send a signal to the control panel which automatically raises or lowers the outputs to the anodes. In this way, the hull receives the optimum corrosion protection at all times.

Cathelco have also received an order to supply equipment for the first in the series of Project Edge vessels which are to be built for Celebrity Cruises in France.