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<p>Ministers in the Department have been regularly engaging with with key industry
bodies, to understand how we can support the continued resilience and competitiveness
of UK manufacturing during the Covid-19 pandemic.</p><p>Organisations include the
Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) and Nissan, which has been a critical
part of the UK’s automotive industry and the North East’s manufacturing landscape
for the past 30 years.</p><p>In order to support UK business and industry during the
Covid-19 outbreak, the Chancellor has announced an unprecedented package including
government-backed and guaranteed loans. We have made an initial £330 billion of guarantees
available, alongside the Coronavirus Job Retention and VAT deferral schemes.</p><p>
</p><p>The Government also has a long-standing programme of support to maintain the
competitiveness of the UK automotive sector. Through our landmark Automotive Sector
Deal, we have secured joint investment and long-term commitments to develop world-leading
battery technologies, positioning the UK as the location of choice for the development
and deployment of connected and autonomous vehicle technologies.</p><p> </p><p>The
Government, alongside industry, have jointly committed almost £1.5 billion through
the Advanced Propulsion Centre and Faraday Battery Challenge to research, develop,
and commercialise low carbon automotive innovations. In October last year, we announced
up to £1 billion of new money to support research and development, including within
supply chains, to support electric vehicle manufacture.</p>
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