The RMIF is putting together a paper on vehicle scrappage schemes which it hopes to share with business secretary Lord Mandelson within weeks.

The association is keen for the UK to adopt a self-financing scheme which would encourage owners to dispose of older, more polluting vehicles and is looking at similar initiatives in other countries to pick out the best bits. 

It is confident that the Government will accept its argument which would provide a sales boost for the motor industry.

RMIF director Sue Robinson and RMIF chairman Paul Williams have been putting a number of industry issues to senior Government and shadow ministers over the past couple of weeks, including VED and Business Rate relief on empty premises, and they report that progress is being made.

In addition to Lord Mandelson, they have met Peter Luff, chairman of the House of Commons Select Committee for Business Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (BERR) MP; Justine Greening MP, shadow Treasury Minister; and Lord Hanningfield, the shadow minister for Transport in the House of Lords.