WHEN Chancellor Alistair Darling declares that the North needs more private sector investment, it probably comes as a statement of the utterly obvious.

For all the differences between the political parties, there is a general agreement that we live in a capitalist society. The concept has its faults, but nothing so far has emerged to provide a viable alternative.

So yes, minister, of course the North needs more private sector investment which, hopefully, will help build a long-term recovery.

But, at the same time, one of the biggest inward opportunities to come our way in recent years is from the public sector. Merseyside, we hope, is in with a good shout when it comes to providing space for several thousand jobs for the Ministry of Justice.

Maybe we are getting over-suspicious, but we really do hope that the Chancellor’s enthusiasm for private sector investment to lead the way to recovery does not reflect any cooling in Whitehall over the possible Ministry of Justice move.

We are also a little concerned over the continuing delays in the Treasury’s response to the House of Lords report into the Barnett Formula for channelling money into the regions.

As it stands now, Scotland received government cash some 12½% ahead per head than Merseyside – and this despite Scotland’s overall income per head being well ahead of Merseyside’s.

This cannot be fair in anybody’s eye, and the sooner the Treasury gets to grips with this inequality the better. There is no excuse for further delay – ministerial evasiveness just will not do. It is time for some action.