Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, with reference to the pan-European DRIVES project, what steps he is taking with his EU counterparts to ensure that UK automotive engineering standards remain aligned with those in other parts of Europe after the UK leaves the EU.

The UK automotive industry is one of our great success stories and global demand for UK designed, engineered and manufactured vehicles is strong. My rt. hon. Friend the Prime Minister has confirmed we are seeking a UK-EU free trade area underpinned by a common rule book for industrial goods and a new business-friendly customs model that avoids friction at the border.

Through the Automotive Industrial Partnership (AIP), working with Government, UK industry is leading the development of qualifications and programmes to upskill existing and future workforce, as well as supporting progression and talent retention. The AIP will take responsibility for, and to transform, the end-to-end skills system, enabling automotive employers to attract and develop the current and future skilled workforce that the sector needs to compete globally.