Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether his Department has plans to include a heightened role for rural areas in the Government’s Industrial Strategy.

The Industrial Strategy is the Government’s long term plan to boost productivity by backing businesses to create high quality, well paid jobs for all throughout the United Kingdom. Industrial Strategy policies recognise that different areas require flexibility to respond to local needs and to build on local strengths, this includes people living and working in rural areas, which is why the Industrial Strategy is investing in skills, industries and infrastructure. The Strategy’s Foundations consider rural needs, and will continue to do. For example:

• The Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund enables investment in agritech
• Apprenticeships are becoming a strong rural training route
• We are investing in digital connectivity including 5G Rural First, and 5G Rural Integrated testbed pilots
• Business productivity in SMEs are being tackled through Local Enterprise Partnerships and support from the British Business Bank

Furthermore, we have committed to developing Local Industrial Strategies with every Local Enterprise Partnership and Mayoral Combined Authority. Local Industrial Strategies provide an important opportunity for all rural areas to grow their economy by creating a bespoke approach to supporting the local economy and driving productivity. The government is committed to Local Industrial Strategies so that:

• All places are able to increase productivity and realise their potential
• We can set out the spatial impacts of national and local policy across our cities, towns and rural areas.

Building on local evidence, Local Industrial Strategies will therefore look to address challenges and opportunities across the foundations of productivity so that all rural communities can contribute to and benefit from economic prosperity.