Select committee: Business, Innovation, Science and Trade Committee

Recommendation 9

7th Report - Industrial Strategy Published 6 Jun 2025 Addressed to Department for Business and Trade
Recommendation (the committee's words)
We recommend that Department for Business and Trade teams based abroad are given a clear framework, which they report to Parliament, for how they can support export opportunities for each of the growth driving sectors, in the most important UK markets accounting for 80% of UK export growth. This framework should specify (a) DBT’s estimate of potential export growth opportunity for priority sectors over the decade to come, (b) DBT staff resource on the ground (c) objectives for trade barrier removal and (d) trade promotion budget and activities. (Recommendation, Paragraph 55)

From: Business, Innovation, Science and Trade Committee, 7th Report - Industrial Strategy (HC 727), 6 June 2025

Government response

The government responded to the whole report on 12 September 2025 (deadline 6 August 2025).

Summary written by Accountability Index from the government's response. It is not the government's own words.

The government welcomes the Committee's ten tests as metrics to assess progress and responds to each recommendation, agreeing in several areas while stating that it has no current plans to change the Regulatory Innovation Office.

  • On measuring progress, the government "agrees that there must be clear measures in place" and says the Industrial Strategy Advisory Council will oversee monitoring and evaluation and report annually.
  • On putting the Industrial Strategy Council on a statutory footing, the government agrees this is an important step and commits to doing so "when parliamentary time allows", with provisions in the IS Bill.
  • On the Regulatory Innovation Office, the government says: "There are not current plans to change the Department or scope of the RIO."
  • On the Prime Minister chairing the Growth Mission Board, the government says the Board is chaired by the Chancellor and the Prime Minister "is not a member of the Board" but engages frequently by other means.

Read the government's response ↗ Report an error