The number of British-made parts used in domestic car manufacturing continues to increase, a new study has found.

According to research by the Automotive Council UK - an industry-run organisation that works with the government to oversee the UK automotive industry - 44 per cent of the parts used in cars built here came from British suppliers, up from 41 per cent in 2015.

The figures show that the upward trend for locally-sourced parts continues, as the figure was 36 per cent in 2011, when a steady decline in UK automotive manufacturing was first halted.

Business secretary Greg Clark said: “This Automotive Council report shows that we are still making good progress in increasing the UK content of the vehicles we produce.

“It also highlights that there are many more opportunities for us to exploit.

“Through our modern industrial strategy we will build on our strengths in the automotive sector in research and development, creating skilled jobs and further extending our supply chain.

“The Government is committed to maintaining the international competitiveness of the UK automotive sector.”

International trade minister Mark Garnier said: “Our car industry is highly competitive and these figures are a vote of confidence not just for the UK automotive supply chain, but the sector as a whole.”

The increase in the percentage of domestic parts used in UK car production is amplified by the fact that 2016 saw car manufacturing hit a 17-year high with 1.7 million vehicles made.

Since 2011, turnover for the UK’s automotive parts sector has grown from £9 billion to £12.7bn.