Asked by: Damien Egan (Labour - Bristol North East)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what discussions (a) Ministers and (b) officials in his Department have had with representatives of the devolved administrations on supporting economic development in pan-regional economies that are also cross-border economies.
Answered by Gareth Thomas - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The UK Government and the Department of Business and Trade engages regularly with devolved governments on all aspects of economic development, including at the Business and Industry Inter-Ministerial Group.
The inaugural meeting of the Council of Nations and Regions took place in Edinburgh in October 2024. The Council brings together the Prime Minister and the Deputy Prime Minister with the leaders of the devolved governments and the mayors of combined authorities to facilitate collaboration on cross-cutting challenges including the core mission of securing economic growth.
Asked by: Damien Egan (Labour - Bristol North East)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what plans his Department has to support the development of pan-national economies that cut across the borders of the nations of the UK in (a) South Wales and Western England and (b) other areas.
Answered by Gareth Thomas - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
This government is committed to an agenda of national growth and the UK’s new Industrial Strategy, a 10-year plan for growth due to be published in Spring, will be designed and implemented in lockstep with local and regional leaders.
In addition, HMG has announced the Council of Nations and Regions, supporting cross-border collaboration bringing together the PM and the DPM with the heads of the devolved governments and the mayors of combined authorities, to consider shared opportunities across the UK.