Committees

Financing the real economy

Inquiry

The Government has made economic growth its “number one mission”, aiming to secure the highest sustained growth in the G7.  Yet the UK has consistently lagged behind its peers and in 2025, the IMF projected UK growth at just 1.2%—below most major competitors. 

Low investment is at the core of this challenge. The UK has recorded the lowest share of investment in GDP among G7 countries in 24 of the last 30 years and ranked in the bottom ten of OECD countries for overall investment intensity. Closing this investment gap is now essential to delivering the productivity, innovation, and dynamism the British economy needs. 

This inquiry is no longer accepting evidence

The deadline for submissions was 11:59pm on 12 September 2025.

Upcoming events

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Past events

Tuesday 9 December 2025
2:00pm Private
2:30pm Public
Financing the real economy - Oral evidence 9 December 2025
2:30pm
  • Debbie Wosskow OBE (Co-Chair at Invest in Women)
  • Jordan Dargue (Co-Founder at Lifted Ventures)
  • Debra McDonald (Chief Executive Officer at Iron & Velvet)
3:00pm
  • Paul Bristow (Mayor of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough at Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority)
  • Oliver Coppard (Mayor of South Yorkshire at South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority)
3:30pm
  • The Lord Stockwood (Minister for Investment at Department for Business and Trade)
  • Blair McDougall MP (Minister for Small Business and Economic Transformation at Department for Business and Trade)
  • Paula Crofts (Director, Small Business Growth at Department for Business and Trade)
  • Sean Jones (Director, Companies and Economic Security, Climate, Energy and Environment at HM Treasury)
Room 8, Palace of Westminster
Tuesday 18 November 2025
2:30pm Public
Financing the real economy - Oral evidence 18 November 2025
2:30pm
  • Tim Creed (Head of Private Equity Investments at Schroders)
  • Sandra Boss (Chair at BlackRock)
  • Liz Fernando (Chief Investment Officer at Nest Corporation)
  • Barry Kenneth (Chief Investment Officer at Pension Protection Fund)
3:15pm
  • Richard Davies (Chief Executive Officer at Allica Bank)
  • Ben Barbanel (Chief Lending Officer at OakNorth Bank)
  • Andy Gray (Managing Director (Mid-market lending) at NatWest)
  • Louis Taylor (Chief Executive Officer at British Business Bank)
4:00pm
  • Anna Shiel (Chief Investment Officer at Better Society Capital)
  • Mila Lukic (Chief Executive and Founder at Bridges Outcomes Partnerships)
  • Lisa Jacobs (Chief Executive Officer at Funding Circle)
The Grimond Room, Portcullis House
Tuesday 21 October 2025
2:00pm Private
2:30pm Public
Financing the real economy - Oral evidence 21 October 2025
2:30pm
  • Anita Breslin (Chief Financial Officer at Tokamak Energy)
  • Jenny Hadlow (Chief Operating Officer at Checkout.com)
  • Markus Bauman (Chief Legal Officer at CMR Surgical, and Chief Corporate Strategy Officer at CMR Surgical)
3:10pm
  • Rob Salter-Church (Regulation Director at National Grid)
  • Greg Reed (Chief Executive Officer at Places for People)
3:35pm
  • David Ward (Chief Financial Officer at GB Group Plc)
  • Dr Stephen Streater (Research and Development Director at Blackbird Plc)
  • James Ashton (Chief Executive Officer at Quoted Companies Alliance)
4:00pm
  • Mo Jamei (Director of Economic Policy at Confederation of British Industry (CBI))
  • Mr Fhaheen Khan (Senior Economist at Make UK)
  • Rosalind Gill (Director of Policy, Analysis and External Affairs at National Centre for Universities and Business)
The Thatcher Room, Portcullis House
Tuesday 14 October 2025
2:00pm Private
2:30pm Public
Financing the real economy - Oral evidence 14 October 2025
2:30pm
  • Professor Tera Allas (Chair at The Productivity Institute)
  • Professor Jagjit Chadha (Professor of Economics at University of Cambridge)
  • The Lord Turner of Ecchinswell
  • Professor Jonathan Haskel (Professor of Economics at Imperial College Business School)
3:30pm
  • Will Hutton (Co-Chair at The Purposeful Company, and President at The Academy of Social Sciences)
The Grimond Room, Portcullis House

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