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.

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.