Part of the debate – in the House of Commons at 5:33 pm on 18 September 2023.
Nusrat Ghani
Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade) (jointly with the Cabinet Office)
5:33,
18 September 2023
My hon. Friend is right that the supply chain is critical to ensure that we continue to manufacture at pace. Just last week, we “leapfrogged”—I believe that is the quote—the French to become the eighth largest manufacturer globally, which shows how important our supply chain is. There are kinks in the supply chain and a lot of pressure—the Inflation Reduction Act on one side, covid on the other—while trying to get hold of critical minerals for the base products. I have been working with industry, and we will publish an import strategy-supply chain piece of work soon to make sure that we are shedding light and doing everything we can for our advanced manufacturing sector.
We have a strong and valued relationship with the sector, stemming from the UK’s rich history in auto manufacturing.