Oral Answers to Questions

Neil Carmichael Excerpts

Thursday 21st March 2013 Commons Chamber

[Michael Fallon]

Yes, I co-chaired the aerospace growth partnership on Monday to press the industrial side of the partnership to get on with the money made available—some £2 billion spread over seven years. I have challenged them to make sure that the money starts to get put into action so that the institute is established as rapidly as possible this year.

[Neil Carmichael (Stroud) (Con)]

In welcoming the industrial strategy being supported by £1.6 billion, I ask whether the Secretary of State agrees that we need to encourage our SMEs to start thinking about investing in tooling for components, especially in the automotive sector, because that is how we will further boost the values of our already impressive exports in cars?

[Vince Cable]

My hon. Friend is absolutely right that the issue in the industrial strategy is promoting not simply the prime contractors but the supply chains. These have been badly hollowed out in recent years, but there is quite a lot of evidence of re-shoring, and we want to support that with the advanced manufacturing supply chain initiative.