Contributions
788 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDStellantis LutonWith permission, Mr Speaker, I wish to make a statement on the announcement by Stellantis yesterday on the future of its manufacturing sites in the United Kingdom. I know that…27 Nov 2024HANSARDStellantis LutonI thoroughly agree with the content and sentiment of my hon. Friend’s question. The support this Government are committed to is about that transition, but we should be excited by…27 Nov 2024HANSARDStellantis LutonMy hon. Friend makes some very good points about the fact that while nearly every major market has policies of this kind, ours operates in a different way from how the French, for…27 Nov 2024HANSARDStellantis LutonI am grateful to my hon. Friend for her question as well, and echo the sentiments I expressed to her constituency neighbour, my hon. Friend the Member for Luton South and South…27 Nov 2024HANSARDStellantis LutonYes. In the conversations we had with representatives of Stellantis, they raised every aspect of the previous Government’s policy, including the flexibilities, the ability to cap…27 Nov 2024HANSARDStellantis LutonI am grateful to the hon. Gentleman for his questions and observations, and apologise that he has had to hear me speak twice on this topic in the short period of time between last…27 Nov 2024HANSARDStellantis LutonI would recognise the right hon. Gentleman’s fairness and equity whichever side of the House he was sitting on, and I have no doubts about that. We do listen to those in industry…27 Nov 2024HANSARDStellantis LutonI can tell the hon. Member categorically that those decisions had no impact whatsoever. This is the crucial point. I hear Conservative Members say this, but do they have any idea…27 Nov 2024HANSARDStellantis LutonI believe my hon. Friend’s analysis is absolutely right, and he and I were in the Chamber on several occasions when that case was made to the previous Government. The intervention…27 Nov 2024HANSARDStellantis LutonI genuinely appreciate the question coming from that perspective, but this is not just about NGOs. We have been in close contact with big business about charging infrastructure,…27 Nov 2024HANSARDStellantis LutonI certainly agree that we should be honest, and the hon. Gentleman’s characterisation of the UK automotive sector is simply not correct. All I ask him to do is this: do not listen…27 Nov 2024HANSARDStellantis LutonAgain, I recognise the situation facing my hon. Friend’s constituents, and there will be support on offer from the Government. He asks specifically about conversations with trade…27 Nov 2024HANSARDStellantis LutonI very much believe that industrial strategy is essential to the future of the United Kingdom. I hoped that this would be supported on a cross-party basis, and I see no reason why…27 Nov 2024HANSARDStellantis LutonFirst, let me reiterate my words about the right hon. Member’s constituents and the situation at Ford. I have faced this accusation before, but if anyone thinks the Government are…27 Nov 2024HANSARDStellantis LutonI reiterate the points I made in my statement: this is about the whole sector, and while we walked in to find a certain position with this plant when we formed the Government on 5…27 Nov 2024HANSARDStellantis LutonI absolutely echo my hon. Friend’s sentiments about my hon. Friend the Member for Luton South and South Bedfordshire, and I very much agree with her statement about a UK…27 Nov 2024HANSARDStellantis LutonI am grateful to the hon. Member for his question and the way in which he put it. He is right that cost of living concerns are paramount. We have also got to recognise that the…27 Nov 2024HANSARDStellantis LutonI agree that that is one concern that consumers have. The principal concern for consumers on EV take-up is the cost of the vehicle. The hon. Member will know from our…27 Nov 2024HANSARDStellantis LutonLet me be clear: we worked constructively on the ZEV mandate that the previous Conservative Government put forward. I believe in incentives towards the transition. I am not…27 Nov 2024HANSARDStellantis LutonThat is the single most dishonest statement I have ever heard in my time in this House.27 Nov 2024