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

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how he plans to use the Northern Powerhouse strategy refresh to improve productivity in the North of England.

The Government’s continued commitment to the Northern Powerhouse, and the North’s vital role in improving the country’s productivity, is reflected in my rt. hon. Friend the Prime Minister’s recent decision to make the Minister for the Northern Powerhouse and Local Growth a joint appointment between the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy and and Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government. This builds on the commitment at Autumn Budget 2018 to refresh the Northern Powerhouse Strategy.

The Strategy will be developed across government and in partnership with external stakeholders, including mayoral combined authorities, Local Enterprise Partnerships and civic and business leaders, to ensure the whole of the North of England benefits from government investment with a clear plan for improved productivity and prosperity. It will also reflect the development of Local Industrial Strategies across the North, the first of which was published last month by Greater Manchester with government.

The refreshed Northern Powerhouse Strategy will be published in due course.