Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps he is taking to consult with business to bring forward a comprehensive workforce strategy.

The government’s Modern Industrial Strategy outlined our commitment to provide £1.2 billion of additional investment per year in skills by 2028-29 and set out plans to deliver more opportunities for people at all stages of life to learn and earn in our high-growth sectors. The government has since published the Post-16 Education & Skills White Paper, driven forward our Plan to Make Work Pay, and set out additional support for young people through the Youth Guarantee. We are working with business to develop sector Jobs Plans for all growth-driving sectors identified by the Industrial Strategy. The first Jobs Plan, the Clean Energy Jobs Plan, was published last year.