Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what recent steps his Department has taken to increase domestic sales in the manufacturing sector.

Through Reshore UK, which brings together the expertise of UKTI and MAS, we are backing business every step of the way to bring back jobs and strengthen our manufacturing base. The Government’s Advanced Manufacturing Supply Chain Initiative (AMSCI) has made £345 million available to support the repatriation, anchoring and growth of manufacturing supply chains in the UK.

The Manufacturing Advisory Service (MAS) has a specific requirement to support manufacturing supply chain activity. £59.3 million has been allocated over 3 years and more than 17,250 manufacturing firms have already received specialist support from MAS, helping them improve and grow.

To support commercialisation of technology and innovation, Government has launched the High Value Manufacturing Catapult and 16 new university-based EPSRC Centres for Innovative Manufacturing. Budget 2014 included a further £74 million investment in the Catapult network.

Government has also created a Skills package that supports businesses in taking on apprentices and provides support for investment in higher level skills: providing an additional £85 million to extend Apprenticeship Grants for Employers Scheme; and £20 million for apprenticeships up to postgraduate level.