A DELEGATION of representatives from the North-East's chemical industry has received encouragement from Science Minister Lord Sainsbury.

The 12-strong party met the Minister at the DTI's headquarters in London yesterday in an attempt to win backing for a strategy to bolster the chemical sector in the region.

Bob Coxon, chief executive of Synetix, said: "We found this to be a very positive meeting where the minister listened very carefully to our views and acknowledged the need for an understanding of the needs of the chemical industry in the region.

"He said he intended to visit the North-East in the next two months to further understand how plans would be developed in line with the strategy for petrochemicals, pharmaceuticals and speciality clusters, and for the proposed centre of excellence at Wilton."

The delegation presented an agreement to Lord Sainsbury setting out their vision to put a framework in place to keep the regional chemical industry internationally competitive. The ultimate aim is to secure Government financial backing for new investment projects.

The chemical industry employs more than 20,000 people, making it the largest manufacturing sector in the area, contributing £1.2bn per year to the region's economy.

Neil Mundy, One NorthEast's director of integration, said: "One NorthEast is delighted with the visit.

"It is extremely important that there is a strategic approach to this highly integrated industry, to ensure that key investment decisions are made and supported to ensure long-term competitiveness in the industry within the North-East and Tees Valley in particular."