This week, the All Party Parliamentary Motor Group (APMG) called on government to back the UK automotive sector as a key industry for growth in a competitive global market.
Launching its annual report, the APMG looked forward to the publication of the Automotive Sector Strategy describing the UK automotive industry as a ‘priority’ and reinforcing that government must sustain investment, and leverage significant overseas opportunities to ensure that UK automotive can seize opportunities for future growth.
The report, Fuelling Ambition: Investment and Strategic Direction for UK Automotive, looks at the challenges and opportunities facing the industry – including future driving trends, low carbon innovation and exports and trade policy.
The report highlights four key recommendations to government:
1. The automotive strategy has established a comprehensive framework and strategic direction for the industry that requires cross-party and long-term government support for implementation.
2. Government needs to support industry to respond to changing driving trends and habits with analysis, accurate and transparent data and further investment.
3. Government must sustain long term investment for the sector, and focus particularly on areas in which the UK is excelling – such as low carbon technology.
4. To expand the UK automotive sector’s success overseas, government should focus on securing deals with priority markets, such as the EU-US Trade Deal, and reducing other barriers to trade.
Launching the report at the Group’s Annual General Meeting, the Group’s Chairman, Richard Burden MP said, “Protecting and strengthening the automotive sector for the future requires concerted action. Our report highlights that there are new opportunities and challenges – such as the ‘peak car phenomenon’ and low carbon innovation – that require government’s focus and investment by industry now to ensure the sector can maximise growth. For the automotive industry to continue excelling the government must continue to play a central part.”
To view the full APMG annual report for 2013, follow the link: Fuelling Ambition: Investment and Strategic Direction for UK Automotive
