The Business, Innovation and Skills Committee has published its initial…

The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) has welcomed today’s announcement by home secretary Theresa May that from April 2011, the majority of highly skilled workers entering the UK under Intra-Company Transfer arrangements will be exempt from government’s proposed immigration cap.

At the European Parliament in Brussels today, SMMT met Malcolm Harbour, West Midlands Conservative MEP, to discuss the current state of the UK automotive industry and the future market outlook.

The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) has called for intra-company transfers to be excluded from government’s migration limits, over concerns that capping the number of highly skilled migrants could negatively impact UK competitiveness and the re-balancing of the economy.

SMMT is urging government to recognise the importance of R&D investment in driving economic growth, calling for measures to incentivise funding and build a more balanced economy. The call comes as a new report, published by the Centre for Economics and Business Research (CEBR) and commissioned by SMMT, highlights that innovation is a key driver of productivity and growth, but that R&D spend is low in the UK compared to leading international markets.

A leading economic think tank has highlighted the importance of encouraging private sector research and development (R&D) and has said that improving the availability of finance will be crucial to sustaining the recovery and rebalancing of the UK economy.

Research issued today shows that an industry-leading 93% of motorists would recommend that friends and family use one of Motor Codes’ 6,200 nationwide garages.

SMMT has welcomed today’s Budget for the long-term clarity and stability it gives to UK manufacturing. However, industry recognises that these will continue to be challenging times for the economy and our members’ businesses as we emerge cautiously from recession.

The European Commission has issued a legislative proposal for a European common safety standard for electric vehicles

More than 767,000 people miss their MOT test each year, risking up to £1,000 in potential fines, but now consumer champion Motor Codes has the answer.