Manufacturing Industries: Government Assistance

Andrew Miller
To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what steps his Department is taking to support the British manufacturing industry during the economic downturn; and if he will make a statement.

Ian Pearson
The Government have acted to help industry through the current economic downturn, by boosting capital and liquidity in the market. In addition, the Government have set up a £2.3 billion Automotive Assistance Programme that is specifically aimed at supporting the automotive sector, and its supply chain.

We are specifically supporting manufacturing with measures such as the Manufacturing Advisory Service (MAS), which since April 2008 has helped nearly 6,000 companies achieve cost savings and increased business worth over £200 million. The recent Manufacturing Strategy builds strongly on this, with £150 million of support for UK manufacturing, helping industry to: seize the opportunities of the low carbon economy; significantly increase apprenticeships; and take advantage of new markets in the global economy.