Written by David McPhee
The Government is being urged to do more to engage with industries such as
steel, retail and hospitality as they risk being “left behind”.
MPs also suggested the UK Government should be less focussed on the growing
offshore wind market.
A committee of MPs said the Government’s Industrial Strategy must honour
its “open door” offer.
The Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Committee suggested that
ministers were unwilling to meet the requests of the steel industry.
Efforts have been focused too much on hi-tech sectors such as offshore
wind, the committee claimed.
Rachel Reeves, who chairs the committee, said: “Sector deals won’t be
enough on their own to tackle the UK’s productivity puzzle or insulate
industry from the fall-out of a no-deal Brexit or of greater friction in
our future trade with the European Union.
“But sector deals are a key plank of the Government’s Industrial Strategy
and, if agreed fairly and honoured fully, have the potential to make an
important contribution to boosting the nation’s lagging productivity,
improving competitiveness, and delivering growth to all parts of the UK.
“The Government’s Industrial Strategy isn’t doing enough for the ‘everyday
economy’, in sectors such as retail and hospitality where millions of Brits
are employed.
“The ‘open door’ offer to industry isn’t being delivered upon in these
neglected sectors and the Government needs to be much clearer about the
criteria for sector deals and engage more actively and decisively to make
these happen.
“On steel, the Government should get back to the table and talk to the
industry to get a sector deal done.
“Having made the steel industry jump through hoops in efforts to get a
deal, the Government should now deliver on its side of the bargain.”
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