Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer from Baroness Gustafsson on 11 March (HL5279), whether "regional growth" mentioned in the Answer includes and accounts for sparsely populated areas or areas classified as predominantly rural.

Regional growth is a core objective of this Industrial Strategy, which will be ambitious and targeted. It will unleash the full potential of our cities and regions, by concentrating efforts on clusters and city-regions with the greatest potential for our growth-driving sectors.

Clusters often cut across local government boundaries, sitting both within and outside of major cities, including extending into in rural areas – particularly for growth-driving sectors which require access to suitable land, water and other natural resources.