TWO knowledgeable men - Nigel Evans, of the Teesside Business School, University of Teesside, and James Ramsbotham, of the North- East Chamber of Commerce - in separate columns of Business Echo (June 5) expressed severe concerns regarding the North-East again being overlooked in terms of the required and requested investment towards high-tech jobs, and into our basic infrastructure for ports, better road and rail networks, etc.

I suggest that the views of these two gentlemen be given greater publicity in all our local media to inform a much wider audience who may not delve into your business section just what this "listening"

Government really thinks about its electorate in the North-East, especially the Government reference to our "low wage base" being "a magnet for investment".

Surely, as this area contains the constituency of the current Prime Minister, we deserve more than such platitudes and we should have been better supported by Tony Blair in the quest for improvement and investment to our region?

John Smith, Shildon, Co Durham.