Buses: Manufacturing Industries
Question
Alex Mayer
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps he is taking to increase the volume of exports of a) UK buses and b) UK technology and services within the bus manufacturing supply chain.
Answer
Chris McDonaldThe Government is focused on boosting the UK bus manufacturing sector’s long-term competitiveness and advancing zero-emission vehicles. Trade agreements will open new export opportunities, remove tariffs, and introduce flexible rules of origin, benefiting automotive businesses nationwide.
According to industry figures, nearly 80% of UK automotive production is exported, with direct export support available from DBT alongside dedicated automotive export campaign support, and through UK Export Finance, with £14.5 billion allocated for UK exports from UKEF in 2024/25.
The £2.5bn DRIVE35 programme accelerates R&D and commercial scale-up in strategic vehicle technologies, unlocking investment in zero-emission bus manufacturing and supply chains, increasing competitiveness in international markets.