UK chancellor targets delays in growth and infrastructure push

Chancellor John Healey set out a growth plan focused on reducing delays in infrastructure, regulation and government decision-making. The package includes changes to judicial review rules for Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects, with Parliament able to designate and approve the country’s most important schemes and give them stronger protection from legal challenge.

The government wants to double the number of UK unicorn firms, defined as companies valued at over £1 billion. It will work with the Business Department to identify high-growth businesses, help them navigate regulation, access capital and secure government contracts as an early customer.

Healey also announced the Northern 500, a growth community for 500 ambitious mid-sized businesses in the North, alongside a £150 million British Business Bank scale-up fund. New sandboxing powers due next year would let companies test technologies such as delivery robots, medical treatments, defence systems and maritime autonomous vehicles in controlled settings.

The wider plan includes fewer unnecessary consultations, earlier legal challenges, updated guidance on legal risk and a review of UK rail infrastructure costs. Recent measures also include Sovereign AI’s £100 million R&D Procurement Scheme and a commitment to reduce the administrative burden of regulation by 25% by the end of the Parliament, or £5.6 billion annually.