SOME of the country's most influential MPs descended on the Town Hall to debate the economy and more besides.

It was the first meeting of the south east's Regional Grand Committee, letting the MPs quiz regional minister Jonathan Shaw on the Government's priorities and controversial schemes in specific constituencies using the format of a mini-Parliament.

Unlike similar meetings held in the South West and the East of England, Monday's event was well-attended, with 25 MPs getting stuck in, including former Tory leader Michael Howard, Lib Dem leadership challenger Chris Huhne and both of Reading's MPs.

Reading West's Martin Salter used the platform to criticise West Berkshire Council's "extraordinary decision" to include Pincents Hill in its list of preferred development sites, potentially destroying the green gap between Tilehurst and Theale. But Mr Shaw said: "It's always a balance. We have 200,000 people on the waiting list in this region. They need to have homes and we need to do our best to provide them."

Reading East MP Rob Wilson focused on the dire state of the economy. He said: "It's truly shocking that unemployment is now 65% higher in my constituency than in 1997.

"It is also catastrophic that, in a region like this, the number of working age economically inactive people is 20%. That's one in five people in my constituency not working and we can see everyday the enormous social consequences of this. Would [Mr Shaw] like to apologise to all those who have lost their jobs and homes as a result of this Government's actions?"

But Mr Shaw said the Tories should apologise for not backing schemes that he said helped people into work.

The debate skipped from county to county, covering the A23 in Sussex, energy generation in Kent, Southampton's docks and pioneering science in Oxford. The committee admitted that little tied these things together, and a linked report into the South East's economic strategy said it "is not an easily identifiable region like some."

Wokingham MP John Redwood was the staunchest critic of the whole process.

He said: "This session has all the spirit of a Soviet-style consultation."

He said it would save money to "sweep away" regional decision-making.

Mr Shaw said regional assemblies had already been abolished, but that regional development agencies allowed a strategic approach instead of piecemeal council decisions.