Please send us an email for updates or to arrange a visit to your part of the region.
If you have a query relating to Liam's role as a Regional Minister please get in touch: by email wmministerial@gowm.gsi.gov.uk
or telephone 0121 352 5237.
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Byrne celebrates new spirit of ambition
One year on, West Midlands Regional Minister Liam Byrne sets out 10 challenges for the year ahead.
Liam's speech to the Confederation of Indian Industries Conference
Liam set out the importance of developing relationships between India and Britain, in particular for the West Midlands.
Setting Regional Transport Priorities at the Country’s Crossroads
Liam speech at the region's first ever transport summit addressed partners working across the region on developing
detailed plans and priorities for the region's most important transport projects.
Transport is key to putting new jobs and new homes within reach of more hard-working West Midlands' families and
getting this right will mean billions of pounds of investment and new jobs with better wages for local people.
A transformed transport infrastructure can ease the burdens in people's lives whilst responding to the opportunities and challenges of the region such as delivering sustainable homes and growth, improving the region's skills base and closing the wealth gap.
West Midlands Skills Action Plan
This link will take you to the West Midlands Skills Action Plan - the region's first ever blueprint for a three year skills blitz which Liam launched with a speech at Wolverhampton Racecourse in March 2008.
In the 21st century the West Midlands will win in the world, not on cost but on skill.
As Liam says, "Skills are the key to new jobs and better wages. Skills are the key to a richer region in the decade ahead."
The plan sets out ambitious targets to boost the number of businesses across the Midlands offering apprenticeships by 50%, coupled with new measures to tackle low literacy and numeracy skills amongst nearly half a million West Midlands' adults. Liam also addressed the Association of Colleges Spring Conference
highlighting the crucial role of further education in improving the region's skills.
Liam's speech to Birmingham Forward
This speech is a look back into Birmingham's history in the centenary year of Birmingham becoming Britain's second city and a look forward to the challenges of the future that we must begin work on now.
The Real Deal: Liam's speech to the West Midlands Regional Assembly
Liam spoke to the WMRA on 28 January 2008 highlighting
the importance of strong partnerships across the region and how vital these are to our progress in transforming the West Midlands and the unique plans for delivering new jobs and new homes.
Liam's speech followed the launch of the West Midlands Manufacturing Support Strategy - for more information, please see the Advantage West Midlands website.
Liam's New Year speech
Delivered to staff at the Government Office for the West Midlands at the beginning of 2008 setting out the challenges for the critical first quarter of the year that will build the foundation for a decade of change in the West Midlands. Liam's speech launching the West Midlands Economic Strategy and draft Regional Spacial Strategy
Liam launched these important plans at the opening of Longbridge Innovation Centre in December 2007. Bringing together the Regional Economic Strategy and Regional Spatial Strategy
is a vital first step towards developing a Single Integrated Regional Strategy and the West Midlands is the first region to try something this ambitious.
Please see the briefing notes page for more information and click here for the WM Economic Strategy. Visit the West Midlands Regional Assembly website for full details of the WM Spatial Strategy and its consultation period which is now open until
28th March 2008.
Advantage West Midlands Annual Conference speech
Liam's speech in November 2007 to the Regional Development Agency
West Midlands introductory speech
Liam's inaugural speech as Minister for the West Midlands.
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