Contributions
624 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARD Honda in SwindonThe hon. Gentleman is very familiar with and experienced in this area, and I understand his point. I would say that the reasons behind this decision and some others have been not…19 Feb 2019HANSARD Honda in SwindonMy hon. Friend puts it extremely well. In a world of competitive investment, we need to deploy all the assets and strengths at our disposal. Internationally mobile investments are…19 Feb 2019HANSARD Honda in SwindonI am grateful to the hon. Gentleman for his question. It is important to point to and acknowledge the reasons for the decision that have been given by the company. I have been…19 Feb 2019HANSARD Honda in SwindonI agree with every part of what my hon. Friend says. At a time of change and challenge for the industry, this is just the time to provide the certainty, commitment and enthusiasm…19 Feb 2019HANSARD Honda in SwindonAs my hon. Friend the Member for Chelmsford (Vicky Ford) said earlier, we are the second country in the EU in terms of take-up of electric vehicles. I do not think the hon. Lady…19 Feb 2019HANSARD Honda in SwindonWhat I would say to my hon. Friend is that we are talking about Honda’s plant in Swindon and that most of its output is not diesel but petrol vehicles, which go all around the…19 Feb 2019HANSARD Honda in SwindonI am very proud of our automotive industry. It has all the attributes the hon. Gentleman ascribes to it. I am proud of the workforce. I am proud of the workforce in Swindon in…19 Feb 2019HANSARD Honda in SwindonIt will. This is one of the big advantages of the agreement. The industry and individual firms have been very clear that this is one of the reasons why they have endorsed it.19 Feb 2019HANSARD Honda in SwindonI agree with the hon. Lady that the environment in which investment decisions take place affect all businesses, not just those in the automotive sector. That is why I have taken…19 Feb 2019HANSARD Honda in SwindonI do take it at its word; it is only fair to do so. However, as it departs, I reflect on the words it has given to me and to Committees of this House based on its experience of…19 Feb 2019HANSARD Honda in SwindonThe hon. Lady makes an important point. It is, of course, the direct employees of the company who are affected, but also the employees of companies that supply it. I have that…19 Feb 2019HANSARD Honda in SwindonI will indeed, and I am grateful to my right hon. Friend. I and my colleagues are in frequent dialogue with the SMMT and all the companies that are part of the industry. It seems…19 Feb 2019HANSARD Honda in SwindonIt is evidently the case that we should be part of a free trade agreement with Japan, and we should avail ourselves of the one that has been negotiated with the EU, unless and…19 Feb 2019HANSARD Honda in SwindonThe decision we took to position this country at the leading edge of the new automotive technologies—battery technology and connected and autonomous vehicles—is evidently the…19 Feb 2019HANSARD Honda in SwindonOf course I completely respect—everyone has to respect—the reasons that have been given for the decision, but I am pretty familiar with this industry and others, and there are a…19 Feb 2019HANSARD Honda in SwindonI agree with the hon. Gentleman when he describes the reality of how the automotive industry successfully trades in this country. It is based on a just-in-time system of…19 Feb 2019HANSARD Honda in SwindonLike my hon. Friend, I pay tribute to our colleagues, my hon. Friend the Member for North Swindon, my hon. and learned Friend the Member for South Swindon and my right hon. Friend…19 Feb 2019HANSARD Honda in SwindonAs I said in my statement, this is a time of change and challenge, but also of opportunity for the automotive sector. I have been proud that in the two or two and a half years…19 Feb 2019HANSARD Honda in SwindonI agree with my right hon. Friend. Although Brexit uncertainty was not cited as one of the factors in the decision, it is evident in investment decisions in the whole industry. I…19 Feb 2019HANSARD Honda in SwindonI am grateful to the hon. Gentleman for his remarks and the tone in which he expressed them. I will certainly keep the House informed about the taskforce’s progress. We should…19 Feb 2019