John Prescott has promised to intervene in a row between a Midland MP and a Government quango spending £95 million of taxpayer's money.
The Deputy Prime Minister vowed to "have a word" with the board of North Staffordshire Regeneration Zone after they were fiercely criticised in the House of Commons.
MP Paul Farrelly (Lab Newcastle-under-Lyme) said the Regeneration Zone was refusing to keep MPs informed about its activities.
He also raised his concerns with Alan Johnson, the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, during a meeting yesterday. The Regeneration Zone was set up by Advantage West Midlands, the regional development agency, which is responsible for improving the region's economy. The aim is to give local business leaders and councillors a say over how Government aid is spent in north Staffordshire. The public are not invited to meetings of the board, even though it is to spend £95 million from the Treasury over the next three years. Mr Farrelly has accused the board of refusing to provide him with agendas or minutes from its meetings.
And last month his assistant was turned away from a quarterly board meeting.
Speaking in the House of Commons, Mr Farrelly said: "Our regeneration zone has not only become a private company, but it has also decided, quite unjustifiably, that it can behave like a private company and meet behind closed doors."
Mr Prescott told him: "They should make available to Members of Parliament all information."
A spokesman for the Regeneration Zone said: "All North Staffordshire MPs, including Mr Farrelly, have regularly received agendas and minutes of quarterly board meetings."
