Car production up again in June

THE NUMBER OF CARS produced in the UK rose last month.

A total of 136,419 vehicles were manufactured in June 2014 - a 3.7% rise on the figure for the same month last year, the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) said.

The latest figures took the year-so-far total to 791,314 - a 3.5% increase on the January-June 2013 figure.

The number of cars produced for the home market rose 1.9% in the first six months of this year while production for export was up 4.0%.

SMMT chief executive Mike Hawes said: "UK car production continued its steady growth in June, leading to a half-year increase .

"With several manufacturers having started assembly of new models this year and billions of pounds of investment still to reach production fruition, this is an exciting time for the UK automotive sector. "

He went on: "However, with this growth comes a need to bolster the domestic supply chain and address major skills shortages; both of which the UK industry is committed to addressing."

Transport Minister John Hayes said: "I welcome these excellent figures, which show that Britain's car manufacturing continues to thrive. Our automotive industry is going from strength to strength and so helping drive the economic recovery.

"This Government is committed to providing the right conditions for businesses to grow and create jobs to help our country prosper, which is why we have committed to spending £24 billion up to 2021 to upgrade England's strategic road network and make our roads fit for the future."

By Peter Woodman, Press Association