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.

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.