§ Dr. KumarTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on the progress made by his Ministerial Group to promote technology clusters. [122986]
§ Ms HewittSince the Government announced its intention to review clusters policy in November 1999, it has commissioned a mapping study, to be completed by June, of existing cluster activity to inform the work of a new Clusters Policy Steering Group (CPSG) chaired by my noble Friend the Minister for Science. Membership of this group includes other Ministers, RDAs, the private sector, the CBI, TUC, academia, local government and cluster experts. The Group has an open remit to look at all aspects of cluster-related activity and recommended to Cabinet new policy initiatives intended to remove any barriers to the growth and the development of clusters. The Group will look at all cluster activity and will not concern itself exclusively with technology clusters. It will nevertheless take due account of the recommendations made by my noble Friend the Minister for Science's separate group which looked at bio-technology clusters and reported in August 1999.