THE Government has created years of uncertainty for businesses by refusing to say when the UK will join the European single currency, industry leaders said yesterday.

George Cowcher, chief executive of the North East Chamber of Commerce, said: "It does not give any real clarity as to where we are actually going for the future, and the concerns we have are that unless the Government actively works to converge and realign the UK economy then we are never going to get into a position to enter into Europe."

Simon Wolfenson, chief executive of Next, said: "The tests are not met now and will not be met in a year or two's time.

"Business wants certainty so that it can plan ahead with confidence. What it does not want is continued speculation over whether the Government intends to take risks with the British economy in order to pursue its political ambitions."

Steve Rankin, regional director of the Confederation of British Industry, said: "There will be some companies who feel that they would rather a decision was made one way or another than it was put off for an indefinite period because business people like certainty.

"But there are companies where it does not really matter for them whether we go in or go out."

Kevin Curran, general secretary of the GMB union, said Chancellor Gordon Brown's announcement had given "a ray of hope" to the manufacturing industry.

"We now have a road map for the future," he said.

"A summer referendum is winnable and in our economy's best interest."

Peter Troy, chairman of the Darlington branch of the Federation of Small Businesses, which is opposed Britain's entry into the euro, said: "It is unlikely there will ever be specific convergence between our economy and the 12 Euro states. To change to the euro will be an unacceptable loss of control of the British economy."

Roger Lyons, joint general secretary of Amicus, said he welcomed any progress on the ''long march'' to full membership and stressed his belief the euro should be adopted to secure the future of manufacturing.