THE "dynamite" report on the devastating effects of the Corus cuts on Gwent communities has been in the hands of the National Assembly for two months, one of its authors says.

The report, which pinpoints the exact effect of the Corus cuts and offers some solutions, was commissioned by the Assembly and delivered to them at the start of August. The findings only became public yesterday.

Yesterday the Argus revealed how economic chiefs in Blaenau Gwent believe up to £40m a year could be lost to the economy as a result of the Corus cuts.

Corus is shutting its tinplate works in Ebbw Vale with the loss of 780 direct jobs.

Report joint author Professor Kevin Morgan, who claims the full implications of the Corus' actions initially went unrecognised, has revealed the 400-page report in three volumes was handed to the National Assembly at the start of August.

Professor Morgan says the findings of the report should be acted on immediately by "joined up" government - adopting an holistic approach with agencies working in harmony.

And he says it is essential for a " full-time" Assembly economic development minister to be in post to drive through the recommendations to give immediate, targeted help to beleaguered communities like Ebbw Vale.

Professor Morgan describes the nuts and bolts report as a "wake up call" for organisations in Wales to start working together on regenerating areas, such as Ebbw Vale, blighted by the Corus cut- backs.

Professor Morgan, of Cardiff Business School, said: "I do believe the report has been taken seriously and that the Assembly is now beginning to realise the scale of the problem as I don't think that was evident at the outset when Corus first made its announcements.

"The report has now focused people's minds on just how serious the problem is - in some ways we (the report's authors) thought that we were stating the obvious but it seems we are not."

Professor Morgan said he believes the report leaves no stone unturned in its assessment of the problem left by the steel cut-backs and the way forward.

He said: "We address the core issues and give some indication of the nature and scale of the policies that are needed."

He said the report, commissioned by the National Assembly, had been in the hands of the Assembly since August but until yesterday no one has commented on what is an extremely significant work.

Professor Morgan said: "The agreement was that we would give it to the Assembly for them to digest and after we had done that were free to publish - we insisted that it (the report compiled by Cardiff University's Regeneration Institute) had to be published."

Professor Morgan said: "The sooner the Assembly can come up with a credible, well-thought-out regeneration strategy the better for these communities and the sooner that a full-time economic development minister is in post the better for these communities."

Professor Morgan says the report highlights three main issues: the need for sustained investment; joined up policies and integrated responses between employment skills, education and transport and "bold" new ideas for areas such as Ebbw Vale.

He said: "For areas such as Ebbw Vale we need to be far more imaginative and bolder because the usual ingredients, such as a bit of inward investment and some advanced factories, just won't work there.

"We specifically mention the importance we attach to designing the regeneration policies with the communities and not for them - local people have their ideas and have never been significantly acknowledged or involved.

"We need to involve the people who are to be helped - these are complicated issues and there is no quick fix," he added.