To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what the functions of the North East of England Development Board are; and if he will make a statement.

The North East Industrial Development Board closed on 23 February 2010. The principal function of the Board was to advise One North East on applications for regional selective assistance under the Grant for Business Investment (GBI) scheme and its predecessors of over £250,000 and less than £2 million. From time to time the Board was also asked to advise One North East on: applications for selective financial assistance that fell outside current forms of support; applications submitted under the Tees Valley Industrial programme (TVIP); proposals to make major modifications to existing forms of support; proposals to introduce new forms of support under Section 8 of the Industrial Development Act 1982; administrative aspects of GBI and other schemes; and to provide information on the state of the regional economy to the Government Office for the North East as part of its quarterly report.

These functions were transferred to the North East Investment Advisory Panel on its creation in March 2010.