GAPS in the welfare system could result in a doubling of County Durham holiday hunger schemes this summer, the Bishop of Durham has warned.

Bishop Paul Butler was responding to the Queen’s Speech and issued a warning over the impact of the roll out of universal credit and reduced allowances.

He said: “There is an urgent need to fill the gaps in the welfare system caused by delays and errors in administering benefits and the uneven access to crisis payments.

“In the North-East there is currently little evidence of any slowdown in the need for foodbanks. Further the Holiday Hunger programmes run last year through Communities Together Durham look like doubling this coming summer because of the need that exists in many of our communities.”

Bishop Paul also called for HS2 to start in the North-East to combat scepticism about the so-called Northern Powerhouse.

He said it was ironic that the North-East could lose out on rail investment because of the emphasis on Leeds, Manchester and Liverpool.

“We face the ironic possibility that the cradle of the railway industry, the Stockton-Darlington line, and the home of Hitachi’s excellent new train making facility provides the trains for new infrastructure developments but is excluded from benefitting any further by inadequate investment in railways in the North-East itself.”

He added: “If we are to have HS2 start building from Newcastle at the same time as London.”

The Queen's Speech offered continued support for the development of a Northern Powerhouse, devolving powers to elected mayors and allowing local authorities to retain business rates.

Bishop Paul said he supported elected mayors in the North-East and Teesside but added that reforms to business rates did not work for the region's local authorities, which he said were stretched to the limit.

He said: "The Northern Powerhouse to be really significant in improving the life chances of children, young people , adults and the elderly in the North must work for the whole of the North and must take seriously our region’s brilliance in manufacturing for the twenty first century.”