MPs call for government leadership on industrial growth

In a Strategy Paper published today, the Associate Parliamentary Manufacturing Group has outlined why and how the coalition must take a more active role in generating a firm plan for industrial growth.

The paper calls for the establishment of a formal Industrial Policy Statement, an annual government statement to parliament laying out plans for supporting manufacturing over the forthcoming 10-year period, complete with targets, objectives and measures of success.

According to a statement, the group argues that the current stalling of manufacturing growth in Britain can be attributed to successive governments’ tendency to favour a greater number of smaller, sectoral strategies for growth, rather than a broad and proactive industrial policy that would provide the over-arching vision and energy needed to ensure individual strategies’ success.

The group has called for an Industrial Policy Statement to coincide with the chancellor’s 2013 Budget statement, arguing such a plan would not only provide a coherent framework for growth but would bind together key players and help create the culture of confidence necessary to drive long-term manufacturing growth.