Source · Select Committees · Science, Innovation and Technology Committee
Recommendation 11
11
Not Addressed
The Government should appoint a minister to champion innovation in each region of the UK...
Recommendation
The Government should appoint a minister to champion innovation in each region of the UK – not just the Golden Triangle. These ministers should be tasked with ensuring that regional needs, opportunities and interests are considered in decisions on investment and infrastructure. (Recommendation, Paragraph 34) Data and transparency
Government response summary AI-generated
The government partially agrees but its response fails to address the specific recommendation to appoint a minister to champion innovation in each UK region, instead discussing existing funding for university knowledge exchange and piloted shared technology-transfer approaches.
Summary of the government's response below — read the verbatim text to verify.
Government Response
Not Addressed
HM Government · verbatim extract
Not Addressed
The government disagrees with this recommendation. Ministers have UK- wide responsibilities and are accountable for ensuring that decisions on innovation, investment and infrastructure support national growth while reflecting the distinct needs, strengths and opportunities of different places across the UK. We have appointed senior figures who coordinate action for strategically important areas such as the Northern Growth Envoy and the Oxford-Cambridge Growth Corridor Champion. Importantly, these roles are not limited solely to innovation activity but have a wider role in coordinating economic growth. This is why DSIT and UKRI are working closely with Northern Growth Corridor Envoy Tom Riordan to ensure DSIT’s investment portfolio delivers the objectives of the Northern Growth Strategy. Furthermore, consideration of regional impacts and requirements is already embedded in the way we develop and deliver innovation policy and investments. This includes targeted, place-based investment programmes; coordinated action across innovation, skills and infrastructure policy; and sustained engagement with mayoral combined authorities, devolved administrations and local leaders to ensure regional perspectives inform national decision-making. As part of DSIT’s English Devolution Framework commitments, the Minister for Science, Innovation, Research and Nuclear meets annually with mayors of the Established Mayoral Strategic Authorities. UKRI has also put in place a more regular process of engagement between its executive chairs and local leaders, to build local partnerships and guide investment decisions over time. This approach is reflected in existing strategic frameworks, including the Northern Growth Strategy, which sets out a long-term, place-based plan to support productivity, innovation and business investment across the North of England. This sets out commitment to building local partnerships with mayoral authorities, to align the national innovation system with their plans for local growth. We consider this model to be more effective than the creation of additional, region-specific ministerial roles, which could fragment accountability and duplicate existing responsibilities. Chapter 4: Data and transparency
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