CBI: 50 YEARS OF BUSINESS INNOVATION


LAYING THE GROUNDWORK FOR THE COMPETITIVENESS AGENDA


THE RT HON. LORD HESELTINE OF THENFORD CH President of the Board of Trade, 1992–95


“I ENJOYED TREMENDOUS SUPPORT FROM THE CBI,


WHICH WAS FULLY AWARE OF THE RELATIONSHIPS


BETWEEN THE PUBLIC AND PRIVATE SECTORS”


When I took over at the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) in April 1992, I wanted to understand what an industrial strategy for Britain would look like. My first question to officials was: what is our industrial strategy? The reply was that they were not even allowed to use the words “industrial strategy” – so we were clearly starting at a very low level of interest in the matter. The first priority was to address the issue


of competitiveness and establish how British businesses stood in relation to those of our main competitors. The second task was to ensure that the DTI itself was geared up to deal with this challenge. It became apparent very rapidly that we were heavy on the ground with civil servants in sectors where the government owned, or heavily subsidised, the industries. The same pattern emerged with regulated sectors. However, when it came to freestanding private enterprises, the government took very little interest. The final piece of the jigsaw was to focus on the way in which firms were supported by private-sector organisations. As a result, we published an annual


report with ratings for each of the elements 008


of competitiveness. I reallocated resources within the department towards supporting some of our most successful industries and away from regulation and subsidy. Finally, we established Business Link, which was designed to help chambers of commerce provide a more comprehensive and tailored service. I must say that I enjoyed tremendous support


from the CBI, which was fully aware of the myriad of relationships between the public and private sectors. My aim was to make sure that those relationships worked as well as possible in each of those three key areas. I would not say I wholly succeeded, but


one can never relax and say that the job is complete because your competitors are always upping their game. But, looking at the situation today, many of those ideas have borne fruit. There is a very close relationship between the motor industry and government, the aerospace sector and government, and indeed with many other sectors. I would like to think that what we did two decades ago has contributed to the industrial strategy that is now in place.


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