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 Answer of 17 October 2016 to Question LH2367, what steps his Department is taking to ensure small and medium-sized enterprises involved in the supply chain for the production of Nissan vehicles in the North East automotive sector remain competitive.

Work by the Automotive Council has identified £6bn per annum additional opportunities for UK suppliers, where they can compete successfully to win this business. The Government is working closely with the Automotive Council and the wider sector to help secure this.

Government support for small and medium sized enterprises, including suppliers to Nissan, is provided through the range of measures and competitive funding competitions. This includes the Advanced Manufacturing Supply Chain Initiative, with projects running through to 2019, and the Advanced Propulsion Centre, which promotes collaborative R&D between suppliers and vehicle makers to develop products to improve vehicle efficiency and reduce emissions.

As part of a wider programme of long term investment in the North East, the Sunderland and South Tyneside City Deal includes a £5million government investment in a new Advanced Manufacturing Park, which will support the local automotive supply chain.

Further support is provided by the North East Automotive Alliance, which runs a supplier competitiveness programme funded by the European Regional Development Fund.