A HOUSE of Lords peer has arrived in the North-East to head up a groundbreaking review into the region‘s economy.

As part of his role as chair of the North East Local Enterprise Partnership’s economic review, Lord Andrew Adonis is visiting private and public sector organisations across the area for a week of discussions and tours until Friday, November 2.

To gather evidence for the review, set to be published in spring next year, he will meet senior representatives from the region’s offshore and subsea engineering, automotive, manufacturing, life sciences, rural, food and drink, digital, creative, property and finance sectors to talk over concerns and prospects specific to the various sectors.

He will also discuss issues and opportunities in regional transport as well as training and skills provision.

Tomorrow (October 30) Lord Adonis will visit British Engines where he will meet representatives from the energy and manufacturing sectors before moving on to OGN Group to tour the oil and gas company’s plant.

Lord Adonis said: “This visit gives me a chance to meet many of those who know better than anyone else what is needed to make the most of chances to grow employment and productivity in the North-East over the next 18 years, and what barriers to growth need to be addressed.“ The review was launched in September to provide a framework and create a strategy to propel long-term growth in the North-East, and channel future investment most effectively.

The economic review team, which also includes former Observer editor Will Hutton, Northumbrian Water boss Heidi Mottram and The Bishop of Durham Justin Welby, is meeting to review progress next week. The review, which has won the support of Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg and Lord Michael Heseltine, will be submitted to Mr Clegg and the rest of the cabinet in 2013.

• See tomorrow’s Jobs and Business for an interview with the North East LEP’s chairman, Paul Woolston, one of the architects of the review.