FUNDING FOR LEEDS ARENA

That this House commends the decision to provide a £9.9 million funding package for a purpose-built 12,500 seat arena in the heart of Leeds; recognises the efforts of the Yorkshire Evening Post and the success of its Leeds Needs an Arena Campaign which has helped to secure the funding; notes the regenerative, social and economic impact this will have on the city, creating an estimated five hundred jobs and injecting an expected £25 million into the local economy; thanks Leeds City Council for its hard work and commitment to the scheme and Yorkshire Forward for its invaluable support; and looks forward to the completion of the project and the scheduled opening in November 2012, which will create a landmark development for Leeds, attracting the biggest names in the entertainment industry to the city.