Ministers are facing growing pressure not to wield the axe in some of the most deprived parts of Norfolk and Suffolk as they get set to sweep away regional funding bodies.

Ministers are facing growing pressure not to wield the axe in some of the most deprived parts of Norfolk and Suffolk as they get set to sweep away regional funding bodies.

The government is looking to abolish regional development agencies, including Eeda, as part of a two-pronged approach to cut the national �160bn deficit and hand economic powers back to local councils.

Staff at the East of England Local Government Association, a sister body to Eeda and part of the former regional assembly, have already been put on notice of redundancy, while Eeda has been told it must cut up to 20pc of its �103m budget.

But with deputy prime minister Nick Clegg pledging yesterday that other parts of the country such as the north-east, South Yorkshire and London would not be left high and dry because of their high dependency on public sector jobs, there are fears this region could be thrown to the lions because it is seen as relatively prosperous and a net contributor to the Treasury.

Yesterday in his first prime minister's questions, David Cameron insisted that no region would be “singled out” for swingeing cuts.

The prime minister said the budget on June 22 would contain measures to “fire up” the private sector to create employment and growth.

Mr Cameron said as “difficult decisions” were taken to reduce the deficit efforts would be made to help affected areas "because we want to take the whole country with us.”

Despite its overall levels of prosperity, Norfolk has some the worst pockets of deprivation in the country including parts of King's Lynn, Great Yarmouth and Norwich.