Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment he has made of the effect of the covid-19 outbreak on the car industry in (a) the West Midlands and (b) Coventry.

The Government recognises the challenges facing the automotive industry in the West Midlands and the whole of the UK as a result of coronavirus and has taken unprecedented steps to protect businesses and workers in the automotive sector. The comprehensive Government support to date includes the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme which has now been extended until the end of March, the trade credit insurance guarantee and tax deferrals. In total, we have provided almost £2.5 billion in Covid Corporate Financing Facility support to the automotive sector.

The Government has been working closely with key automotive companies and industry stakeholders to understand how we can support the resilience and continued competitiveness of UK automotive manufacturing at this time. Our priority has always been to support people and to protect jobs and businesses through this crisis. The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders’ latest figures show the UK automotive sector is beginning to recover, with UK car production increasing from 200 vehicles in April to 115,000 in September.

We are determined to ensure that the UK continues to be one of the most competitive locations in the world for the automotive sector and will continue to work closely with the automotive industry to ensure success.