§ 15. Mr. McNultyTo ask the President of the Board of Trade what action her Department is taking to improve productivity in British industry. [45066]
§ Mrs. BeckettImproving productivity is at the heart of the Government's drive to improve the competitiveness of UK companies.
While the responsibility for this lies largely with business itself, the Government have a key role to play. It is for this reason that I set up six business-led working parties last year to make recommendations about how Government and business could work together in partnership to promote competitiveness. I am also co-hosting, with my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer, a series of seminars on the UK's productivity gap.
This work will contribute to a White Paper on competitiveness to be published in the Autumn. This White Paper will, for the first time, be written in partnership with the business community.