Other topics include:-

The future of the High-Speed Rail link between London, The Midlands and the north of England – or HS2. Boris Johnson who confirmed HS2 WILL be built.
The announcement was warmly received by many business groups with HS2 supporters saying it will improve transport times, increase capacity, create jobs and rebalance the UK’s economy.

The Department of Transport says journeys on HS2 between Birmingham and London will be cut from 1 hour 21 minutes to 52 minutes.
A five billion pound government pledge to improve bus services and cycling routes over the next five years.

Boris Johnson said the extra money will provide more frequent services and simpler, more affordable fares, and claims the investments in local infrastructure would “improve quality of life and productivity”.

Adam Marshall, the director-general of The British Chambers of Commerce says “Business communities will want to work with central government, local government and bus operators to ensure that this new funding makes a real difference on the ground.”
The first deadline was 2040, that was then changed to 2035, a date many in the auto industry described as challenging.
Transport Secretary Grant Shapps has further increased the pressure on the motor trade by saying the ban could come into effect by 2032.

The UK has set a target of emitting virtually zero carbon by 2050.
Experts warned the original target date of 2040 would still leave old conventional cars on the roads 10 years later.

JLR completed a zero-emissions tour of its UK manufacturing and product development facilities to celebrate its operations being certified as carbon neutral for the second consecutive year.

The Carbon Trust re-certification is part of Jaguar Land Rover’s journey to zero emissions and its ambition to make societies safer and healthier and make the environment cleaner.

Arrival has just agreed to a 15-year lease on a manufacturing unit at Link 9 Bicester.

The automotive micro-factory manufacturing plant which covers over 120-thousand square feet is expected to be operational next year.

– Aston Martin has coincided the launch of its Vantage Roadster with the introduction of a manual option for the regular coupe. The just-revealed car has the world’s fastest folding convertible roof and extends the Vantage range to three.

Rolls-Royce has now started production of the world’s largest fan blades.

The composite blades which measure 140 inches in diameter are manufactured at the company’s technology hub in Bristol.

They feature hundreds of layers of carbon-fibre materials, toughness-enhanced, resin material and thin titanium leading-edge.

The blades
will be used for the company’s UltraFan demonstrator engine which is designed to reduce fuel usage by 25% compared with Rolls-Royce’s Trent first-generation engine.

The demonstration engine will also offer a 25% emission reduction.
Coronavirus outbreak is having on the manufacturing industry, not just in China, but worldwide including here in the UK.

JCB announced that it is cutting production and working hours as it faces a shortage of components from China due to the virus, which now has a name – COVID 19.

There will be reduced working hours for the 4,000 staff and an immediate suspension of overtime.
More than 25% of JCB’s suppliers in China are closed, while others are working at reduced capacity.

Building products manufacturer GAP is set to build a new £30 million pound factory in Blackburn.

There’s more news from the UK’s space sector, and the latest generation of small communications satellites could be launched into Earth orbit from the northern Highlands of Scotland within the next two years.

Development agency Highlands and Islands Enterprise has submitted a planning application for a vertical launch site, called Space Hub Sutherland, that it plans to construct near Tongue in the very north of Scotland.

If the application is approved, construction on Europe’s first vertical launch site could begin later this year, with launches starting as early as 2022.