20/05/2010

UK Business Advisory Group Established

The newly appointed Westminster Business Secretary Vince Cable has announced the creation of a new group of experts.

The Business Advisory Group is to advise him on business and economic policy and will act as a 'sounding board' for the Secretary of State.

It will be chaired by Lord Oakeshott of Seagrove Bay who will report directly Mr Cable.

The panel will take the form of an ad hoc advisory board and its advice will be private and informal.

The Secretary of State for Business said: "Tackling the challenges facing business requires new ideas from a range of experts.

"Economic knowledge and commercial experience are essential to developing policy and this new panel will be critical to finding new ways to move the economy forward."

Lord Oakeshott is a Liberal Democrat spokesperson for Treasury and Work and Pensions and studied economics at University and Nuffield College, Oxford.

He was a city councillor and has been a pension fund investment manager since 1976.

He was formerly a special adviser to Roy Jenkins from 1972 to 1976.

Lord Oakeshott was a Director of Warburg Investment Management and Head of Courtaulds Pension Fund before starting his own business.

He became a peer in May 2000.

(BMcC/GK)

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