To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what recent
discussions he has held with representatives of the automotive manufacturing sector
on trends in the annual levels of car production; and if he will make a statement.
<p>Leaving the EU with a deal that supports the future of British industry remains
the government’s top priority. We are determined to ensure that the UK continues to
be one of the most competitive locations in the world for automotive. Through our
Industrial Strategy and landmark Automotive Sector Deal, we are working with industry
to put the UK at the forefront of new automotive technologies to ensure the UK remains
the destination of choice for future investment decisions.</p><p> </p><p>BEIS Ministers
and officials regularly meet with the automotive industry, including through bilaterals
with manufacturers, via interactions with the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders
(SMMT), and through BEIS’s participation in the Automotive Council.</p><p> </p><p>The
UK automotive industry is one of our great success stories. Global demand for UK designed,
engineered and manufactured vehicles is strong and the industry has one of the highest
productivity levels in Europe. A number of companies have recently committed to investing
billions of pounds in the sector. This includes recent announcements of a £50m Technology
Centre in partnership between McLaren and University of Sheffield’s Advanced Manufacturing
Research Centre (AMRC), as well as Aston Martin’s announcement that its St Athan facility
in Wales will become the home of its electric vehicle range.</p>
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to the
Answer of 11 November 2014 to Question 214210, what the cost to his Department was
of providing support to the Scottish Cabinet Secretary for Culture and External Affairs
on his visits to (a) Dublin in October 2014, (b) Brussels in October 2014, (c) Italy
in October 2014, (d) Ireland in May 2014, (e) Poland in May 2014, (f) Paris in April
2014, (g) Helsinki in March 2013, (h) Paris in December 2013, (i) Denmark and Sweden
in December 2014, (j) Brussels in November 2013, (k) Rome in October 2013, (l) Philadelphia
in July 2013, (m) Venice in May 2013, (n) Dublin in May 2013 and (o) Berlin in April
2013.
<p>I refer to my previous answers (213577, 214210) on this matter. The UK’s global
diplomatic network - employing over 14,000 people in 267 Embassies, High Commissions,
Consulates and other offices in 154 countries and 12 Overseas Territories around the
world – works to achieve the international policy objectives that benefit the whole
of the UK, including promoting Scottish companies and products, its culture, and Scotland
as a destination for investment, tourism and study. However, the information requested
is not held centrally and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.</p>
