Improving the quality of life for people of this country is perhaps the most important duty of Government

In a sense, what we do with the regional development agencies is to give them resources to look at the deficiencies in the economy in the regional areas, so they can address themselves to that.

The Green Belt is a Labour achievement - and we mean to build on it.

This was released I think in February and so it is a great deal of fuss being made, it hasn't in fact been given public release, it was released in February.

I don't get a fair whack, I don't pursue vendettas or punch people on the nose.

It's moving in the right direction. It was in decline under the previous administration.

So what I did was stuff my face with anything around, any old rubbish, burgers, chocolate, crisps, fish and chips, loads of it, till I felt sick - but at least I'd had the pleasure of stuffing my face and feeling really full.