The Industrial Strategy Advisory Council (ISAC) supports the government's objective of delivering a long-term Industrial Strategy. Members have been appointed based on their expertise and wide-ranging experience and there is extensive business experience on the Council across a wide range of sectors and sizes of businesses, including small and medium-sized enterprises.

The ISAC will make and publish recommendations on the development and implementation of the Industrial Strategy, including an annual report on its work.

Sector Plans are being designed in partnership with business, devolved governments, regions and other stakeholders, through bespoke arrangements tailored to each sector. This will vary by sector, but some may include Sector Councils, such as the well-established Life Sciences Council.

There will not be formal reporting structures between Sector Councils and the Industrial Strategy Advisory Council. However, we expect there to be close collaboration including through information sharing and joint-working as part of their role advising government on the delivery of the Industrial Strategy. The Council will continue a programme to engage widely across government.

The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority.

A response to the Hon gentleman’s Parliamentary Question of 22nd April is attached.

Appointments to the Industrial Strategy Advisory Council were made through direct ministerial appointment by the Secretary of State for Business and Trade and the Chancellor of the Exchequer. The Council’s membership includes a diverse group of the UK’s top business leaders, policy experts and trade union leaders. Members have been appointed in a personal capacity and the Council will help to ensure our Industrial Strategy is informed by a broad and high-quality evidence base, and a diverse range of perspectives.

The Industrial Strategy Advisory Council was launched on 17 December 2024 with their first official meeting. They met in person for a second time on 13 February. In addition the Council has held virtual check in meetings and a number of workstream meetings in smaller groups.

Members of the Industrial Strategy Advisory Council were selected following the Cabinet Office Guidance on Direct Ministerial Appointments. As per this guidance, Ministers and departmental officials identified a wide range of potential candidates that fit the agreed criteria for the role, from a variety of backgrounds, representing business leaders, policy experts and trade union leaders.

Appointments to the Industrial Strategy Advisory Council were made through direct ministerial appointment by the Secretary of State for Business and Trade and the Chancellor of the Exchequer. The Council’s membership includes senior business leaders, policy experts and trade union representatives. Members have been appointed in a personal capacity and the Council will help to ensure our Industrial Strategy is informed by a broad and high-quality evidence base, and a diverse range of perspectives.

Appointments to the Industrial Strategy Advisory Council were made through direct ministerial appointment by the Secretary of State for Business and Trade and the Chancellor of the Exchequer. The Council’s membership includes senior business leaders, policy experts and trade union representatives. Members have been appointed in a personal capacity and the Council will help to ensure our Industrial Strategy is informed by a broad and high-quality evidence base, and a diverse range of perspectives.

Appointments to the Industrial Strategy Advisory Council were made through direct ministerial appointment by the Secretary of State for Business and Trade and the Chancellor of the Exchequer. The Council’s membership includes senior business leaders, policy experts and trade union representatives. Members have been appointed in a personal capacity and the Council will help to ensure our Industrial Strategy is informed by a broad and high-quality evidence base, and a diverse range of perspectives.

The Industrial Strategy Council will be an independent body which is responsible for monitoring and advising the government on the delivery of the Industrial Strategy, through wide engagement with stakeholders and the development of a strong evidence base. The government will legislate to make this a statutory body. In the meantime, it will form an advisory council made up of leading figures with wide ranging experience, the membership of which will be announced in due course.

The Industrial Strategy Council will be an independent body which is responsible for monitoring and advising the government on the delivery of the Industrial Strategy, through wide engagement with stakeholders and the development of a strong evidence base. The government will legislate to make this a statutory body. In the meantime, it will form an advisory council made up of leading figures with wide ranging experience, the membership of which will be announced in due course.

In March 2021, the Government decided that the Industrial Strategy Council would no longer be needed to monitor the impact of the Industrial Strategy, following its transition to the then Plan for Growth.

Delivering economic growth in key sectors remains a priority. The Chancellor has identified five key growth sectors for the UK: Digital Technology, Green Industries, Life Sciences, Advanced Manufacturing and Creative Industries. The government has announced a £500 million per year package of support for 20,000 research and development (R&D) intensive businesses through changes to R&D tax credits, alongside 12 new investment zones. Earlier this month, the Department for Business and Trade announced regulatory measures that will reduce burdensome red tape and tailor rules to suit the UK economy, potentially saving employers around £1 billion yearly.

The Employer Leadership Group, chaired by the Campaign to End Loneliness and supported by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, was established in November 2018.

The work of the Employer Leadership Group has now been taken over by the government's Tackling Loneliness Network, with members of the group invited to join the new network. A subgroup of the network, led by the Campaign to End Loneliness, has produced a short report bringing together emerging good practice on how employers can support social connections amongst their staff, drawing on the expertise of Network members and employers.

The report was published in May 2021 and is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/employers-and-loneliness.