David Cameron has named-and-shamed a north west quango for spending taxpayers' money on an office in sun-drenched California.
The North West Regional Development Agency (NWDA) pays £740,000 a year towards an inward investment company it co-owns which has bases throughout north America.
Four staff at the company – which is co-owned with One North East, another British quango – work out of idyllic Newport Beach on the west coast of the USA.
The prime minister raised concerns about the company during an outspoken attack on quango 'waste'.
“The NWDA shares an office in Newport Beach,” he said. "We need proper control of costs and spending – there has not been any for the past 13 years, and there sure is going to be under this government.”
Mr Cameron said spending by RDAs needed to be properly controlled, and figures on possible waste by the agencies 'should be more widely shared'.
The American-based company, called North of England Inward Investment Agency (NOE), represents the two quangos overseas and attracts money from American and Canadian firms.
NOE employs 13 staff based in offices in California, Atlanta, Boston, Chicago and Toronto in Canada.
Steve Broomhead, chief executive of the NWDA, defended the arrangement and said foreign offices helped attract vital investment into the north west.
"Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) is a fierce competition but the north west has an excellent track record,” he said. "Last year the north of England team was involved in 25 FDI successes and the north west continues to be the most successful region for FDI outside of the south east.
"For every £1 we spend on this, nearly £30 is generated for the north west - that's an incredible return.”
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"For every £1 we spend on this, nearly £30 is generated for the north west - that's an incredible return.”
I don't believe what Mr Broomhead says just look at the Kingsway Business Park in Rochdale. Broken promises of 7250 jobs, The last time I checked using the Freedom of Information Act. The NWDA had spent £45million and had only created 10 new jobs (uptil April 2009).
NWDA? Scrap it, Dave. Who would miss it?
Scrap a quango a day. No one ever voted for these parasites and we know little about them except when they boss us around.
Cut, cut, cut. Not only are you saving our money, Dave, but you are getting these people off our backs.
The people of Britain have had enough.
While you are at it, get rid of the worst organisation of all, the one that no one has ever voted for the EU.
The people of England do not want Regional Government. So instead the poeple of Northwest England have what they wanted "Quanqos"! Now the Tories say: close down these Quangos, they are a waste of money. Instead, let our Home Counties civil servants in London rule Northwest England. After all, they are mostely public schoolboys, so they were born to rule you Northern Oiks! You don't want to, or probably are incapable of running the Northwest yourselves, so led your superiors do it for you. Toodle pip!!
Seems Mr Cameron is chasing headlines rather than facts.. Good response Mr Broomhead!
"For every £1 we spend on this, nearly £30 is generated for the north west - that's an incredible return.”
It would be if the staff were fee earning and the office was self supporting, but unfortunately its taxpayers money.
The Prime Minister should also attack the NW Strategic Health Authority which has recently moved into expensive offices at Piccadilly Place, even though it has members from Cheshire up to Cumbria and a low cost block at somewhere like The Reebok would suit its needs adequately.
[quote name=Timperley Pete]"For every £1 we spend on this, nearly £30 is generated for the north west - that's an incredible return.”
It would be if the staff were fee earning and the office was self supporting, but unfortunately its taxpayers money.[/quote]
Im not an economist but isnt it a good thing to spend £1 of taxpayers money and return £30
What's the climate of the office location got to do with anything? Stop being cheap and sensationalist MEN. A quality article would have assessed whether California was the correct choice of location vis-a-vis other major economies.
You do not work for a quango do you?
What about sacking all EURO MP's as well. They are just a waste of money. Millions could be saved
[quote name=Ignoramus, Manchester]Im not an economist but isnt it a good thing to spend £1 of taxpayers money and return £30[/quote]
Who pays and whose return?
I pay and my return = good deal.
I pay and your return = bad deal.
Simple really!
I miss read this headline. I thought Cameron was having a pop at the California based hip hop group, widely considered one of the seminal acts of the gangsta rap sub-genre. Dr Dre, Eazy-E and the rest of the clan can breath a collective sigh of relief...
How does this Quango demonstrate that there is any link between the money it spends and investment in the NW? It doesn't -- it merely asserts that it is responsible for investment. Assrtino is simply not sufficient justification for squandering millions of pounds in taxpayers' money. And while you're at it Cameron, how about ditching the Equality & Human Rights Commission which is no more than a means of ensuirng that the taxpayers foots the bill for illegal immigrants, terrorists and sexual deviants.