In my column today I discuss a big problem with Whitehall's architecture, which is an increasing topic of concern - that there's no department which has business/innovation as its core focus thetimes.co.uk/article/tax-or… 
The situation with BEIS is particularly egregious. @KwasiKwarteng is trying to change this, but this is literally all the stuff from its 2019-20 annual report under 'making the UK the best place to grow a business' (which is meant to be one of its core strategic aims).
Now obviously there's been a pandemic, and the energy side of the brief has become rather important. There's also a lot happening on improving regulation. But business/growth need the same kind of push from the top that levelling up or Net Zero get, throughout the Civil Service.
(The productivity stuff is good btw! But the sums are pitiful compared to what is spent on BEIS's other goals, let alone across govt.)
(We're also due an Enterprise Strategy in the new year which will hopefully tilt the agenda back in the right direction...)
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