Sixth Special Report
On 28 June 2021, the Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Committee published its First Report of Session 2021–22, Post-pandemic economic growth: Industrial policy in the UK (HC 385). The Government’s response was received by correspondence on 8 September 2021. The Government’s cover letter and response is appended below. The Committee’s recommendations are in bold type, the Government response is in plain type.
Letter from Minister for Science, Research and Innovation, 8 September 2021
The Government is grateful to you and the Committee for its inquiry and report on ‘Post-pandemic economic growth: Industrial Strategy’. Since the report’s publication on 28 June, we have been working across Government to carefully consider the Committee’s recommendations and the evidence gathered in support of these.
Build Back Better: our plan for growth sets out the opportunities we will seize across the UK to drive economic growth, create jobs and support British industry as we level up and build back better out of this pandemic—succeeding the Industrial Strategy published over four years ago. It reflects the fact that since then, the Government has legislated to end our contribution to climate change by 2050, we are forging a new path outside the European Union, and we continue to secure our recovery from Covid-19.
The Plan for Growth is a whole-of-government endeavour and includes significant investment in infrastructure, skills, and innovation to level up the country and improve everyday life for people regardless of where they live.
The delivery of these ambitious objectives will be monitored through the new departmental Outcome Delivery Plans (ODPs), published on 15 July.
The Plan for Growth also committed to set out visions for high-growth sectors and technologies where we are well placed to develop a globally competitive advantage. BEIS has already made a big start on this plan with the publication of the Life Sciences Sector Vision this summer. This 10-year strategy will tackle health inequalities, enhance the UK’s outstanding science and research environment, make the NHS a driver of innovation, and ensure the UK is the best place in the world to start and grow life science businesses. Other visions will be set out by the relevant departments in the coming months.
The Government recognises the importance of working closely and collaboratively with key stakeholders, in the business community and beyond, to ensure that our plans address challenges faced by business and grasp opportunities for future growth. There are several fora that allow us to do this effectively. For example, the Prime Minister has recently established the Build Back Better Business Council, which brings together a broad range of business leaders in partnership with the UK Government to unlock investment, boost job creation, promote Global Britain, and level up the whole of the UK.
The UK Government has also put in place a range of measures designed to support businesses including those achieving or likely to achieve high growth. The support ranges from Government strategies and Sector Councils to specific funds, such as the Future Fund: Breakthrough, and programmes, such as Help to Grow.
Later this year, the UK Government will publish a Levelling Up White Paper setting out how we will improve livelihoods across the country as we recover from the pandemic. Our plans for strengthening local accountable leadership, including the future of Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs), will now be included in the Levelling Up White Paper. We are also committed to ensuring that local areas are supported in building their skills capabilities. The Skills for Jobs White Paper outlines the Government’s approach to local skills provision, including the pilot of employer-led Local Skills Improvement Plans in England, to ensure that the skills training is more responsive to local skills needs.
Finally, the Government welcomes the Committee’s recognition of the potential of the Advanced Research and Invention Agency (ARIA) to add to the UK’s research ecosystem via its flexibility, optimisation for risk-taking, and ability to bring together partners from private and public spheres. The agency will empower some of the world’s most exceptional scientists and researchers to identify and fund transformational areas of research to turn incredible ideas into new technologies, discoveries, products and services—helping to maintain the UK’s position as a global science superpower.
Please find attached a full response responding to specific points raised in the report.
Yours sincerely,
Amanda Solloway MP
Published: 23 September 2021 Site information Accessibility statement