Three-point plan for UK manufacturing sector’s recovery

The UK manufacturing industry will take one of the biggest financial hits from the coronavirus pandemic, new statistics from the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) has warned.

Production output is expected to fall by 55% in the second quarter of this year as the outbreak of Covid-19 and the subsequent national lockdown take their toll.

Previous levels of output can only return with the creation of demand from the reopening of all retail outlets, including vehicle facilities to boost automotive, and for nervous consumers to get back to normal spending patterns to provide a market for the goods produced right down the manufacturing supply chain.

Make UK has published its three point plan – Manufacturing our road to recovery – and has called on the government to allow manufacturers the time to scale up operations and recover by extending the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme. The business organisation is calling for a more flexible form of the scheme – utilising part time or short time working patterns – during the critical rebuilding phase.

This would work in tandem with a series of other measures to stimulate demand to truly get manufacturing and the UK economy back on track.

Boost economic support for UK industry


  1. Introducing a scheme for old IT, plant and machinery equipment to incentivise firms to invest in new technologies that will increase automation, productivity, output and exports.

  2. A wheels to work scheme to support the rent/purchase of bicycles, mopeds etc. for rural commuters if there are few public transport alternatives or if social distancing prevents public transport provision.

  3. Retail Online Vouchers - to help small and micro enterprises get online. The vouchers would help companies to sell their goods and services online during this difficult period alongside a package of incentives and regulatory reforms to encourage greater use of delivery robots and drones to help SMEs meet demand for their goods in a safe way.

Ensure a safe return to work for employees


  1. Access to PPE for employees without in any way denying supply to the NHS, care sector and other essential service.

  2. Greater flexibility of the Job Retention Scheme (JRS) to allow workers with health and safety skills that are vital to re-starting production, to be returned to the workplace in a staggered way and help prevent a delays to manufacturers’ production cycles.

  3. HSE review into wider workplace regulations to see what might be sensibly amended so as to allow differential operation during this unusual period.

Build resilience in supply chains


  1. A comprehensive supply chain mapping project: to ensure we have a greater understanding of their vulnerabilities, including transport/logistics.

  2. Additional fiscal incentives to ensuring critical industrial R&D capacity and spend is safeguarded.

  3. A Global Supply Chain resilience programme: which keeps markets open and predictable.
Make UK www.makeuk.org
Company

Make UK

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