Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the Autumn Budget 2024 on the advanced manufacturing sector.

Advanced Manufacturing is vital to UK prosperity. The Autumn Budget awarded over £2.5bn towards advanced manufacturing, including £16m to continue the Made Smarter digitalisation programme for SMEs, £2bn towards the automotive sector, £975m to aerospace, and £520m for Life Sciences.

Shortly before the budget, Advanced Manufacturing was announced as one of eight growth-driving sectors that will feature in Invest 2035: the UK’s modern industrial strategy. A targeted Advanced Manufacturing Sector Plan is currently being developed in partnership with business, devolved governments, regions, experts and a range of stakeholders. The Industrial Strategy will be published in spring 2025, aligned with the multi-year Spending Review.