While addressing national productivity, the plan is explicitly focused on cities, on the basis that “cities are at the heart of a dynamic economy”, before setting out “measures to build dynamic, resurgent cities and to build up a Northern Powerhouse”. Rural areas will have to wait for DEFRA’s 10-point plan for rural productivity that will set out government ambitions to bring forward new enterprise zones, to further facilitate the conversion of agricultural buildings to residential uses and to bring superfast broadband to 95 per cent of the UK by 2017.

More encouragingly for Buckinghamshire, one of the most entrepreneurial places in the country, the plan acknowledges that “economies stagnate without a dynamic and enterprising firm culture” and identifies its priority as being “to make sure that it is easy to start a business, that the best new businesses can scale up rapidly, and that they can fulfil their long-term potential”. The plan acknowledges the importance of access to finance but makes no new announcements on this issue. It does however announce plans to address the UK’s comparatively poor management and leadership capabilities by introducing a new employer-designed degree apprenticeship in Leadership and Management.

In his Budget speech, the Chancellor promised the Plan for Productivity would include planning reforms. These are primarily focused on housing and include a commitment to grant automatic permission, in principle, for developments on sites listed on new “statutory registers of brownfield land suitable for housing”.

On skills, the government will:

• Respond to businesses’ calls to improve work-ready skills, including increasing the rigour of GCSEs and A levels
• Radically simplify further education qualifications
• Introduce a compulsory apprenticeship levy on large employers so that the 3 million apprenticeships set to be delivered by 2020 will meet employers’ “real needs”.

On transport, the government will:

• Take a decision on airport capacity in the South East by the end of the year
• Create a new roads fund to stand behind a new Roads Investment Strategy

On innovation, the government will:

• Use the Challenger Business Programme to identify and address barriers to expansion for early stage disruptive businesses
• Invite universities, LEPs and businesses to map the strength of regions through science and innovation audits to help strengthen university-business collaboration.

Greater detail on the measures set out in the plan can be expected to emerge ahead of this Autumn’s spending review.

Fixing the Foundations can be found here >