Patricia Hewitt has told Labour that terrorism will not be allowed to destroy the economy.

"In debating economic and industrial policy this morning, we have also been talking about our response to terrorism," she said. "That murderous attack on the World Trade Centre was also an attack on world trade itself and our whole prosperity."

"Just as we are not going to allow terrorists to destroy our democracy, we will not allow them to destroy our confidence and our economy either," she pledged a Labour conference floor debate dominated by trade unions.

And as the UK's economy teeters on the brink of a US-led global slump, the trade and industry secretary pledged extra help "to maintain the framework of economic stability" - including a top-level summit for Britain's beleaguered manufacturing sector.

Sounding a note of optimism, Hewitt said that Labour, with its second term mandate, was well placed to cope with economic uncertainty and deliver on pledges for social justice.

"How do we respond to these testing times? The truth is Britain is far better placed today to cope with economic uncertainty - because Labour in government has built strong foundations. And our immediate task is to maintain that framework of economic stability.

"But in these uncertain times we must also protect the most vulnerable. Because that's why we worked to elect a Labour government. We have always believed in equality - it's at the core of our politics. I am the first minister for women who is also secretary of state for trade and industry and, for me, the two go together," she said.

At a time when "of course people are anxious, they're scared that their job will be the next to go", Hewitt promised "to do everything in our power to save jobs or find new ones".

Outlining a track record in government of support and investment in industry, the minister trailed a beefed up role for regional development agencies and bowed to calls for a top-level manufacturing summit.

"We have heard calls for a manufacturing summit. And I shall be holding a manufacturing summit, bringing together the development agencies, the TUC, the CBI, the devolved administrations.

"People who can act to support industry today, and build new industries for tomorrow, because an industrial strategy can't be imposed from the top - it has to be built in every nation and region of the United Kingdom," she said.

The latest figures from the Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply showed that manufacturing activity continued to fall in September, with companies experiencing the fastest fall in new orders since the start of 1999. Output also declined, though at a slower rate, while manufacturing employment also fell.

Hewitt also pledged to raise standards in family friendly workplace relations - extensions to paid maternity leave, paid paternity leave and legal action to "put family friendly hours on the agenda of very business".

And combining her equality brief with the objective of greater social justice in the economy, she vowed that Labour's women at the top would transform the culture of work just as they tackled politics and the modernising of parliament itself.

"We're also changing the political workplace, parliament itself. More women in the last parliament that ever before, more women in the cabinet now than ever before - changing the political culture and the government agenda."

"But here too, there is much more to do. And I am delighted that Stephen Byers and Sally Morgan will be introducing Labour's Equal Representation Bill this year - a bill that will allow every political party to take positive action to increase the number of women representatives. Conference that means that next year, you will be able to vote on the changes to our rules and constitution that would allow us to select more Labour women for parliament," she said.