Source · Select Committees · Business and Trade Committee
Recommendation 32
32
Not Addressed
The paucity of agreed Local Industrial Strategies ultimately limited the contribution of local insights and...
Conclusion
The paucity of agreed Local Industrial Strategies ultimately limited the contribution of local insights and intelligence into national industrial policy. However, co-creation of industrial policy at local and national level is the right approach and was a strength of the Industrial Strategy. We share the Industrial Strategy Council’s concern that mechanisms for such co-creation are absent from the Plan for Growth. The Government’s levelling up agenda will be stronger if local insights and intelligence continue to inform national-level industrial policy, but the move away from the Local Industrial Strategy model will make this more difficult. (Paragraph 116) Post-pandemic economic growth: Industrial policy in the UK 53
Government response summary AI-generated
The government explains its balanced approach to horizontal and vertical sectoral policies under the Plan for Growth, but does not address the concern regarding the absence of mechanisms for co-creation and local insights to inform national policy.
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 has worked with all places across England, through the Cities and Local Growth Unit (MHCLG/BEIS) to develop Local Industrial Strategies (LIS). However, in the four years since the Industrial Strategy was produced, the UK’s economic and business environment has changed. Local places are best placed to set their own economic strategies to drive forward growth in their respective local economies. As part of the transition from the 2017 Industrial Strategy to the Plan for Growth, the Government is encouraging places to consider key sectors, assets and clusters they want to support to foster their long-term growth ambitions. This will build on the work undertaken as part of the LIS. The Government will continue to consider existing LISs and recovery plans when making decisions about how the Government supports areas. This Government is 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, which will inform the national rollout of the programme, and ensure that plans lead to skills training that is more responsive to local skills needs. As mentioned in our response to recommendations 10, 11 and 33, we will also continue to work with the Devolved Administrations, as well as regional and local leaders where appropriate, at policy level to drive progress towards shared objectives and deliver the ambitions of the Plan for Growth. The Government acknowledges the Committee’s support for Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs). The Government wants to review the role LEPs and local businesses play in driving local growth and supporting the local economy, and make sure they are fit for purpose as we build back better. The Government has set out its commitment to reviewing the future of LEPs as part of the upcoming Levelling Up White Paper.
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