A $14bn (£9.4bn) loan package for the US car industry has failed to get Senate support after gaining approval from the House of Representatives yesterday (11 December 2008).

Please find the latest agenda/minutes for Quality Panel for the meeting of 12/12/2008.

The automotive industry’s call for government support received a positive boost today (11 December 2008) amid a House of Commons debate. Ian Pearson MP, economic and business secretary for BERR re-confirmed government’s commitment to working with the industry to support it through the current economic crisis.

The US House of Representatives has approved a $14bn (£9.4bn) loan package for the US car industry after the White House and leading Democrats reached broad agreement on a support plan.

On 5 December 2008, representatives from a number of organisations attended a seminar at SMMT entitled, “Low Carbon Vehicles and the Future of the Internal Combustion Engine.”

The Economic and Financial Affairs Council (Ecofin) has approved the proposal to establish a European Clean Transport Facility (ECTF). Under the clean transport facility, the European Investment Bank (EIB) will make €4 bn per year available during 2009-2012 for financing investment projects in the transport sector, notably road transport.

The SMMT just published data on UK bus and Coach registrations for November 2008

SMMT has published the new car registration figures for November

The SMMT just published November regisration data for vans and truck in the UK

Preliminary compromise has been reached in Europe