Reducing the country's deficit remained central to Government policies, but growth is the only way to escape the "trap" of high levels of public and private debt, Vince Cable said today. The Business Secretary said growth had to come from business investment and international trade, with the Government fully behind the best performing sectors. He called for a "radically different" approach to boosting the economy to help business investment and spread prosperity across the whole country. Mr Cable said he wanted a "proper industrial policy" to build a different kind of economy, rather than the "cack-handed interventionism" of the 1960s and 70s. In a speech to the IPPR think tank in London, Mr Cable said policies of 50 years ago were based on the assumption that the Government knew better than markets, and still casts a "baleful shadow" over the economy. The Government is united around an economic strategy which attracts widespread support. The commitment to deficit reduction remains central. We can achieve little if the country isn't credit worthy, but the only way we can escape the trap of high levels of private and public debt is through growth. The minister said there were some "really big" procurement opportunities on the horizon, including High Speed Rail and other transport programmes. We need to help UK companies position themselves to be able to compete effectively for these contracts, strengthening their supply chain and removing obstacles that might otherwise weaken our case. Mr Cable said he will travel to the United States this week to talk to manufacturers and encourage them to strengthen their base in this country.