Chancellor John Healey set a goal of doubling the number of UK unicorn firms, alongside a £150 million British Business Bank scale-up fund for northern England and the Northern 500 network of high-growth mid-sized companies. The government plans to identify promising firms with the Business Department, help them overcome regulatory barriers and secure capital, and use public procurement to support their expansion. Healey said new sandboxing powers, due to be ready next year through the Regulating for Growth Bill, would allow companies and regulators to test products in controlled settings. Potential applications include innovative medical treatments, delivery robots, defence technologies and maritime autonomous vehicles. The government also outlined reforms intended to shorten delays to major infrastructure investment. Parliament would be able to designate and approve projects of critical national importance, giving them greater protection from legal challenges, while a fixed Challenge Window would seek to resolve legal objections earlier. The plans form part of a wider agenda that includes reducing unnecessary consultations, reviewing rail-infrastructure costs and cutting the administrative burden of regulation by 25% by the end of the Parliament. The measures build on Healey's previous regional-growth agenda, which included a fiscal-devolution roadmap, greater local control over economic strategy and plans for Strategic Partners of the National Wealth Fund. Healey has said the government wants growth, investment and innovation to be spread across the country rather than concentrated in London.