THE UK Northern Powerhouse Conference has appointed an advisory board of leading figures in the fields of business and public services to help it drive forwards its plans for supporting significant growth in the northern economy.

Key priorities for the group include reviewing and monitoring Government responses to the ten recommendations outlined in the Outcomes Report of the 2016 UK Northern Powerhouse Conference.

These include the need for a regional strategy for science, research and skills, better engagement with corporate transport infrastructure users and providers and a Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund.

The chair of the board is Lord Bob Kerslake, who is a former head of the Civil Service, having led the Department for Communities and Local Government from November 2010 to February 2015.

He was appointed president-elect of the Local Government Association in June 2015.