Ministers accused of being slow to back motorsport firms

THE government has been accused of "complacency" over Britain's world-leading motorsports industry and warned that other countries are lining up to poach the work away from the UK.

The industry was hailed by the House of Commons Business, Innovation and Skills Committee as one of the "crown jewels of UK manufacturing", with 4,500 small businesses centred around Silverstone supporting 38,500 jobs and generating annual sales of more than 6 billion – of which 60 per cent are exports.

But the cross-party committee said ministers had sidelined the industry, treating it as a niche market in the broader automotive sector. In a report published yesterday the MPs urged Lord Mandelson's Business Department to establish a specialist policy team with responsibility for the motorsport industry. And the committee voiced concern over motorsports engineering courses offered in British universities, highlighting a tendency for students to be taught motorsports management rather than more rigorous technical engineering material.

The report – entitled Full Speed Ahead – quoted the Motorsports Industry Association as saying: "Many countries envy the success of (the UK's] high value-added industry cluster and have active government programmes to try and capture a share.

"Such moves represent a genuine and constant threat to the leadership position enjoyed by the UK – an economic asset which requires less complacency and better awareness and active appreciation from government."

The committee members said they were "struck by the lack of understanding and effective engagement by government".