Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, pursuant to the Answer of 13 February 2025 to Question 29436 on Manufacturing Industries, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of including food and drink manufacturing in the Industrial Strategy.

Growth is the number one mission of the government. The UK's food and drink manufacturing sector plays a significant role in the UK economy, contributing £35.1bn to GVA in 2022. The UK presents many opportunities for investment right across the food and drink supply chain stages of product development.

The Industrial Strategy, alongside Sector Plans for the growth-driving sectors, will be published in Spring 2025, aligned with the multi-year Spending Review. These Sector Plans will set out the specific sub-sectors of focus, identify key barriers to growth, and describe how government and industry intend to achieve long-term growth for the sector.