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

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps he is taking to increase employment in the manufacturing sector; and if he will make a statement.

Manufacturing accounted for around 2.6 million jobs in 2016 and has been stable around this level since 2010. Through the UK’s new industrial strategy, we are focussed on supporting UK business, including those in the manufacturing sector, to grow and increase productivity

We are working with UK industry to create the right conditions for competitive, world leading manufacturing businesses to flourish and grow across the UK. We are supporting all UK manufacturers by cutting business taxes, slashing red tape and investing in new scientific infrastructure on a record scale. Through our Industrial Strategy, we will make sure that we are using all the tools we have to stimulate growth. That means using our record investments in infrastructure to unlock growth in every part of the country; using the major new investment in research to support innovative manufacturing businesses across the country; and encouraging inward investment into all parts of the country.