Labour MP for Burnley and Padiham, Kitty Ussher, has held a high-level meeting with the government minister for industry, Margaret Hodge, to argue the case for more financial support for manufacturing firms based

in Burnley and Padiham.

The government has been consulting on a new map to determine manufacturing companies' eligibility for large-scale financial support. Only firms located in so-called "assisted areas" are eligible for large-scale support. To date, Burnley and Padiham have not been included in the assisted areas map and the government's proposal is that this should remain the case. But Kitty is fighting to get her constituency added to the map when the government puts its final proposals to the European Commission next week.

The government will announce its final decision as to which parts of the country should have assisted area status on Tuesday 10th October 2006.Their proposals then need to be approved by the European Commission. Companies seeking to invest in assisted areas can access a minimum of £10,000 of support, and potentially far more, administered through the Regional Development Agency.

Kitty said:

"I've visited a large number of manufacturing companies across my constituency in the last few weeks and have been impressed by the hard work, vision and dedication of the staff and managers alike. I firmly believe that British manufacturing can succeed in the 21st century and I want to see it flourish here. That's why I am fighting as hard as I can to get my constituency included as an "assisted area" so that our companies can access thousands of pounds of support for their investment plans for government. The current proposals are that the assisted area should only reach as far as Blackburn but that's not far enough for me.

I met the industry minister, Margaret Hodge, last week at Labour Party conference to press the case and she has said she will go away and look at whether there is anything that can be done."