EEF, the manufacturers’ organisation has published its wish-list for Chancellor Philip Hammond’s forthcoming Budget in March. Tony McDonough reports.

Investment in training and digital infrastructure will be essential for North West manufacturers in a post-Brexit world, industry leaders say.

EEF, the manufacturers’ organisation has published its wish-list for Chancellor Philip Hammond’s forthcoming Budget in March.

Heading the list is improvements to the R&D tax credit as well as investing in technical training and first class digital infrastructure

EEF is urging the Chancellor to maintain his focus on driving up productivity and pressing ahead with infrastructure investment in the forthcoming Budget to ensure that businesses are teed up for post-Brexit success.

It said the Government must enable more research and innovation, skills development and higher levels of investment through the potentially uncertain Brexit negotiations.

This will be critical in laying the foundations for future growth and productivity across British manufacturing, it added.

It laid out ctions that could underpin these outcomes include a positive outcome from the Government’s review of the tax treatment of R&D which has the potential to make the R&D tax credit system even more attractive compared to international partners and bring forward additional innovation investment from businesses.

And with the apprenticeship levy due to hit businesses this year, further efforts and investment is needed to ensure that there is sufficient, high quality technical training provision to meet the needs of employers and learners. 

Richard Halstead, interim region director for EEF in the North West, said: “The economic indicators for the UK so far this year should offer the Chancellor further confidence about the resilience of the UK economy, but we remain some way off from the end of possible Brexit uncertainty.

“This Budget must drive ahead with the productivity-focused commitments that we saw in both the Autumn statement and the Government’s recent industrial strategy green paper.

“Action that enables more innovation, more investment and supports better skills and infrastructure in the economy are not optional if the UK is to be ready to make the most of post-Brexit opportunities.”