THE South East England Development Agency - SEEDA - has been given a pat on the back by CBI director general Digby Jones who said the agency was making a big difference to business and the quality of life in the region.

The CBI chief said he was "a huge fan of regional development agencies."

SEEDA, he believed, was "key to delivering quality regeneration in the South East." He asked for SEEDA to be more vigorous in espousing the South East's strengths and its own role in boosting economic development, pledging that the CBI would give its support to any campaign to promote the region.