20/02/2017 House of Commons


20/02/2017

Similar Content

Browse content similar to 20/02/2017. Check below for episodes and series from the same categories and more!

Transcript


LineFromTo

in the Department always have the opportunity to ask for a call back

:00:00.:00:00.

if they do not wish to continue with the call and wished the departments

:00:00.:00:07.

to make the call. I understand this point of order flows directly from

:00:08.:00:17.

questions. Specifically to call upon the answer given a few moments ago

:00:18.:00:22.

about the work-related, the minister said nobody would be affected by

:00:23.:00:26.

this change before the summer but in fact the DWP website says and we all

:00:27.:00:30.

understood that this change takes effect from April, I wonder if you

:00:31.:00:33.

can invite the Minister to clarify or correct the record. The Minister

:00:34.:00:41.

is itching to appear at the bar 's. The policy change happens in April

:00:42.:00:45.

but it will not start impacting people until later in the year and

:00:46.:00:49.

because of the process they will be going through. But all of the

:00:50.:00:55.

elements of the personalised support package, and all of the other things

:00:56.:00:59.

we are seeking to do to help that individual's liquidity will be in

:01:00.:01:06.

place by April. Urgent question, just in matters. Thank you Mr

:01:07.:01:17.

Speaker, he will make a statement on the proposed takeover of Vauxhall

:01:18.:01:26.

and overall by PSA. Secretary Doctor Greg Clark. Voxel is one of our

:01:27.:01:32.

oldest and most valued motor manufacturers, making cars in

:01:33.:01:38.

Britain for 113 years and owned by an overseas investor, General

:01:39.:01:41.

Motors. There are over 40,000 people employed directly by GM or in

:01:42.:01:46.

voxel's retail or supply chain in this country. News emerged that GM

:01:47.:01:53.

were in discussions with the French company PSA about the future of GM's

:01:54.:01:59.

European operations. I spoke to the president of GM and communicated the

:02:00.:02:04.

importance we attach to the presence of Vauxhall in the UK and its

:02:05.:02:08.

workforce. I am grateful for him travelling to meet me in my office

:02:09.:02:12.

on Thursday. In my meeting he told me no agreement with PSA had been

:02:13.:02:15.

reached and that discussions were ongoing. He shared my assessment of

:02:16.:02:19.

the success of the Vauxhall plants in Britain and the brand. GM's

:02:20.:02:25.

intention was that any deal should be building on the success of these

:02:26.:02:30.

operations. Following on my meeting with GM I travelled to Paris to meet

:02:31.:02:34.

my counterpart in the French government and following these

:02:35.:02:38.

discussions I met with PSA board members for two hours late on

:02:39.:02:42.

Thursday night. I emphasise once again the importance I attached to

:02:43.:02:46.

the continuing success of Vauxhall in Britain and the recognition of

:02:47.:02:51.

its workforce. The PSA executives said they greatly valued the

:02:52.:02:56.

Vauxhall brand and that any deal would build on the strengths. They

:02:57.:02:59.

emphasise that their operational approach has not been to engage in

:03:00.:03:04.

plant closures but to focus on continuous improvements in plant

:03:05.:03:08.

performance. On behalf of the UK Government I emphasised our

:03:09.:03:12.

commitment to securing continued and mutually beneficial excess to

:03:13.:03:14.

European markets and our intention as part of an industrial strategy to

:03:15.:03:24.

enhance the British economy including the automotive sector. My

:03:25.:03:28.

Minister of State spoke to his German counterpart. We remain in

:03:29.:03:33.

close contact with GM, PSA, the French and German governments. And

:03:34.:03:40.

of course I have met and will continue to meet with the trade

:03:41.:03:45.

unions, and members of this house with constituency interests. I will

:03:46.:03:48.

do everything I can at all times to secure the best possible future for

:03:49.:03:53.

Vauxhall and its workforce. Our unity of purpose in seeking this

:03:54.:03:56.

good future should be a source of strength in this house and I will

:03:57.:04:02.

keep the house involved at every opportunity. I'd like to thank the

:04:03.:04:06.

Secretary of State for his response and a helpful way he has kept myself

:04:07.:04:09.

and other interested parties informed as matters have unfolded.

:04:10.:04:14.

As he said, not only are their thousands employed directly at the

:04:15.:04:16.

plants but there are tens of thousands of other people working in

:04:17.:04:21.

the associated supply chain, sales network. I want to make it clear

:04:22.:04:26.

Vauxhall is a British success story. The plants benefit from dedicated

:04:27.:04:29.

and highly skilled staff who are among the most efficient anywhere in

:04:30.:04:33.

Europe. If this takeover goes ahead we need to get the message out that

:04:34.:04:37.

risking the closure of either facility would be a retrograde step,

:04:38.:04:40.

not just for the UK economy but also the new owners. Will the Secretary

:04:41.:04:46.

of State confirm the government will use all tools at its disposal to

:04:47.:04:51.

protect British jobs that Vauxhall? This is not a new experience, there

:04:52.:04:54.

have been threats to the plants in past but they have been seen off by

:04:55.:04:58.

industry-leading collaborations between union, workforce, management

:04:59.:05:02.

and government. Can the Secretary of State confirm he will work closely

:05:03.:05:06.

with everybody at every stage? Whilst I think it would be an

:05:07.:05:10.

oversimplification to characterise the deal as being entirely down to

:05:11.:05:14.

Brexit, there are understandable concerns about its impact,

:05:15.:05:17.

particularly if tariffs were imposed. Will the Secretary of State

:05:18.:05:21.

ensured the future of the automotive industry is put front and centre of

:05:22.:05:26.

negotiations and the red line will be no tariffs, not only on the

:05:27.:05:30.

finished product but also components in the supply chain? We are very

:05:31.:05:33.

proud of our automotive sector and we know we cannot take it for

:05:34.:05:37.

granted. I will do everything that I possibly can to fight for the future

:05:38.:05:41.

of Vauxhall and I expect nothing less from the government. Can I

:05:42.:05:46.

commend the honourable gentleman and I'm grateful to him for giving us

:05:47.:05:50.

the opportunity to update the house on these matters. I completely agree

:05:51.:05:54.

with him about the importance and the success of the workforce. At

:05:55.:06:00.

both the Ellesmere Port constituency plant and Luton. And of course the

:06:01.:06:04.

supply chain and the retail network across the country and the call

:06:05.:06:09.

centre and the customer service centre. Every part of Britain has a

:06:10.:06:16.

stake in Vauxhall and so I completely agree and we will do

:06:17.:06:17.

everything that we can. My personal commitment at the moment

:06:18.:06:26.

of this government will be unbounded to ensure that the future building

:06:27.:06:29.

on the success of the plant in his constituency of the workforce will

:06:30.:06:34.

be maintained. That is my purpose. I am grateful for his support for that

:06:35.:06:39.

and I will of course work with all of the groups, including the trade

:06:40.:06:43.

unions and workforce to make that case, if new owners the right to be

:06:44.:06:50.

the those new owners. Vauxhall has been a huge name in Beds for over a

:06:51.:06:56.

century and that continues with the IBC plant in Luton building the

:06:57.:07:03.

excellent Vivaro van. Can he say a little bit about the pensioners in

:07:04.:07:10.

this country, many of whom are in my constituency and across Beds? They

:07:11.:07:12.

will be worried for the future of their pensions. Can he say a little

:07:13.:07:16.

bit on that issue as well as the jobs? In any prospective takeover,

:07:17.:07:23.

the continued welfare of pensioners is of great importance and I

:07:24.:07:29.

mentioned how important that would be in my discussions both with GM

:07:30.:07:34.

and PSA. As I say, no deal has been concluded yet, but both

:07:35.:07:39.

organisations are well aware of the importance that I as well as my

:07:40.:07:42.

honourable friend attached to that. Thank you, Mr Speaker. I thank the

:07:43.:07:54.

Secretary of State for his response and indeed the honourable Mulumba

:07:55.:07:57.

the Ellesmere Port and Neston. Rock-solid flows over 40,000 people

:07:58.:08:03.

as the Secretary of State stated, including 4500 at its manufacturing

:08:04.:08:06.

plants in els airport and Luton, and tens of thousands in its retail and

:08:07.:08:09.

support arms and within the supply chain. It is, as we have heard, a

:08:10.:08:14.

great dish success story and there are in above questions I would like

:08:15.:08:19.

to raise. Firstly, the French government owns a 14% share in

:08:20.:08:23.

Peugeot, which has prompted many to suggest that any jobs cuts are

:08:24.:08:29.

likely to fall on Oprah's six plant in Germany, the UK and Spain. The

:08:30.:08:32.

German government has already demanded they must be no job losses

:08:33.:08:36.

or plant losses as a result of the deal. Yesterday German papers

:08:37.:08:42.

reported that PSA had pledged to continue operating all four of

:08:43.:08:48.

Opel's German production sites. Can the Secretary of State state what

:08:49.:08:53.

actions the government is taking to ensure the same in the UK, and can

:08:54.:08:59.

she say that no jobs will be lost when she meets PSA executives? At

:09:00.:09:05.

the 2016 Conservative Party conference, the Prime Minister

:09:06.:09:07.

stated we are the party of workers. Can the Secretary of State confirm,

:09:08.:09:11.

therefore, he will demand equal treatment of UK workers, compare the

:09:12.:09:16.

workers in France and Germany, in any final deal package to make good

:09:17.:09:22.

on that package? And finally, the UK's automotive industry is

:09:23.:09:25.

dependent on the EU for both sales and components. Nissan's special

:09:26.:09:32.

deal provided assurances of unencumbered EU market access, more

:09:33.:09:37.

UK suppliers, support for more green vehicle are handy and the jobs and

:09:38.:09:41.

training. Can the Secretary of State confirm reports PSA have been

:09:42.:09:44.

offered the same deal and weather in return they have assured that no UK

:09:45.:09:49.

jobs or plants will be lost? Was it not the case that all UK industry is

:09:50.:09:53.

however require certainty and stability, and would he agree with

:09:54.:09:58.

me that a haphazard and crisis led approach is quite simply the very

:09:59.:10:01.

antithesis of an industrial strategy? Can I first of all

:10:02.:10:08.

welcomed the honourable lady to the dispatch box and congratulate her on

:10:09.:10:11.

her appointment. She will find there is no one more prepared than I am to

:10:12.:10:16.

be active in supporting the employment aspects at every

:10:17.:10:18.

constituency in the country, wherever that may be. And in our

:10:19.:10:25.

discussions with industry including the automotive industry and overseas

:10:26.:10:30.

investment, there is tremendous enthusiasm, warm encouragement for

:10:31.:10:33.

our industrial strategy, and this is something that in other countries

:10:34.:10:39.

has been pursued for some time. So I think in terms of haphazard and

:10:40.:10:43.

random, or whatever she described, I am not sure, crisis led and

:10:44.:10:52.

haphazard, I am not sure the honourable A.D. Speaking from her

:10:53.:10:54.

front benches in the Bezus position to talk about that batch you make

:10:55.:10:57.

some important points. She mentioned the fact that the French government

:10:58.:11:01.

to own a significant stake in PSA, which is why I thought it was

:11:02.:11:04.

important immediately to have a meeting with my French counterpart.

:11:05.:11:08.

I did, it was very constructive and he recognised the importance in

:11:09.:11:14.

making sure that the whole of Europe is treated fairly in these

:11:15.:11:20.

discussions, and we agreed to stay in close touch on that. I was very

:11:21.:11:26.

grateful to him seeing me. In terms of the treatment of plants across

:11:27.:11:31.

Europe, one of the points that the PSA executives made to me was that

:11:32.:11:37.

since the new management of PSA has been in place, they have taken some

:11:38.:11:45.

pride in having part of their strategy not to close plants. As I

:11:46.:11:49.

say, these the sessions are clearly continuing, there is no deal that

:11:50.:11:53.

has been done, but I share her view and the view of her colleague and

:11:54.:11:57.

our friends across the house, that it is very important that what our

:11:58.:12:02.

successful enterprises with successful workforces should be able

:12:03.:12:05.

to continue that success in the future. As for questions about the

:12:06.:12:12.

European Union, of course many of the operations of GM in Europe are

:12:13.:12:17.

in Germany, and Germany is not about to leave the European Union, so this

:12:18.:12:24.

is not a Brexit related transaction. What I said very clearly is our

:12:25.:12:30.

commitment, evidenced in black and white in our industrial strategy, to

:12:31.:12:34.

build on our strengths and advanced manufacturing, including in the

:12:35.:12:38.

automotive sector, are available to all players in that sector through

:12:39.:12:42.

the automotive council. That is laid out in our industrial strategy, we

:12:43.:12:45.

mention electric vehicles, battery storage and training. These are very

:12:46.:12:50.

important for all members of the sectoral, and as I began by saying

:12:51.:12:55.

they have attracted enthusiastic support from fans all over the world

:12:56.:13:05.

are. I recommend my honourable friend's speedy response to the

:13:06.:13:09.

situation. Can my right honourable friend recommend that it is not just

:13:10.:13:12.

important for our industrial strategy but will also play a

:13:13.:13:14.

vitally important role in shaping our future relationship with trade

:13:15.:13:22.

with other EU member states, post-Brexit? Honourable friend, one

:13:23.:13:26.

of the strengths of our automotive sector is that it is particularly

:13:27.:13:29.

international. It benefits from and is strengthened by trade to and from

:13:30.:13:35.

not only the rest of Europe but the whole of the world. And it is, I

:13:36.:13:41.

think, a reflection of the fact that at Boxall has been owned by GM to

:13:42.:13:45.

such a long time that actually the motor industry has long been

:13:46.:13:51.

international beyond Europe, so I think there will be very prominent

:13:52.:13:55.

in our discussions Trasch Vauxhall has been owned. , I congratulate the

:13:56.:14:00.

member fails me a port and welcoming his colleagues the honourable lady

:14:01.:14:03.

to her front bench position, look forward to working with her -- for

:14:04.:14:09.

Elsner point. Our thoughts are with her is affected in the plant at

:14:10.:14:13.

Elsner port, Luton and those working in the supply chain and for the

:14:14.:14:16.

company in other ways and can I welcome the fact the Secretary of

:14:17.:14:20.

State has led from the front, in terms of his interactions with the

:14:21.:14:25.

French and others on this. Can I ask what assurances he has sought and

:14:26.:14:29.

received from the French government or from PSA around about the plans,

:14:30.:14:33.

employment and particular terms and conditions of employees and the

:14:34.:14:35.

issue around about pensions around about there? I do not think we can

:14:36.:14:41.

ignore the impact that Brexit may have in this going forward. This fit

:14:42.:14:46.

is a direct accommodation between a plant and a UK plant, regardless of

:14:47.:14:49.

the undoubted strength of the UK plant, when they have 75% of their

:14:50.:14:53.

components and 80% of their exports going to the single market, they

:14:54.:14:57.

will be at a comparative disadvantage with European

:14:58.:15:01.

counterparts. So can take this opportunity to ask the Secretary of

:15:02.:15:05.

State, given he will say he will do everything he can at all times to

:15:06.:15:08.

rule out the hard Brexit that is being proposed, reassessed the

:15:09.:15:12.

single market than the ship. We can leave the EU but we don't have to

:15:13.:15:15.

leave the single market and doing so would protect employees at Boxall

:15:16.:15:21.

and right across the economy. I am grateful to the honourable gentleman

:15:22.:15:25.

for his kind words. I thought it was important to have discussions

:15:26.:15:29.

immediately with both parties to the negotiations. It is fair to say that

:15:30.:15:37.

since a deal has not been concluded and discussions are continued, the

:15:38.:15:41.

prospective purchaser is clearly not in a position to give contractual

:15:42.:15:49.

guarantees, but one of the important reasons for meeting was to have a

:15:50.:15:54.

clear understanding of their purpose, and to commit to having

:15:55.:15:57.

further meetings as the discussions continued, and I will be having that

:15:58.:16:01.

later in the week. Of course the conditions for workers and for

:16:02.:16:10.

pensioners are uppermost in that. In terms of the context of Brexit. I

:16:11.:16:15.

made very clear, as the Prime Minister did in her speech at

:16:16.:16:18.

Lancaster house, that we want to negotiate the best possible access

:16:19.:16:26.

to the single market and free of tariffs and bureaucratic impediments

:16:27.:16:29.

was that it is also important to reflect that we have a very strong

:16:30.:16:33.

mastic market and Boxall has a particularly strong share of that

:16:34.:16:37.

domestic market, something that was mentioned to me by both parties, by

:16:38.:16:44.

GM and PSA. They are very aware of that and we will emphasise that in

:16:45.:16:50.

the days and weeks ahead. Is the government considering its policy of

:16:51.:16:54.

when, why and how to intervene in mergers that could be damaging to

:16:55.:16:58.

British jobs and the public interest? In the context of the

:16:59.:17:04.

Hinkley Point C decision, we did say we would come forward with measures

:17:05.:17:12.

to govern the critical of structure regime, and also when we have made

:17:13.:17:15.

some proposed changes to our corporate governments regime, and we

:17:16.:17:25.

will be making some suggestions. In an earlier answer the Secretary of

:17:26.:17:28.

State said this will not become entangled in Brexit. But the concern

:17:29.:17:32.

will be that this is to this important company's future in

:17:33.:17:38.

Britain will become collateral damage in wider negotiations and

:17:39.:17:41.

deals regarding Brexit, and in the face of elections in France and

:17:42.:17:45.

Germany this year, does he think nations will have to engage in an

:17:46.:17:50.

ever rising game in order to maintain production facilities in

:17:51.:17:54.

their own countries. If so, what will differ British manufacturing?

:17:55.:17:58.

If the honourable gentleman should reflect a bit more positively on the

:17:59.:18:03.

success of Vauxhall in this country. The two plans we have been talking

:18:04.:18:07.

about are amongst the most efficient in Europe and therefore amongst the

:18:08.:18:11.

most efficient in the world. So this is not about altruism, these are

:18:12.:18:15.

successful plants, a tribute to their workforce, and they are

:18:16.:18:18.

competitive. The other side of the equation, as I said a few moments

:18:19.:18:23.

ago, is the box -- the Vauxhall brand is very successful in this

:18:24.:18:26.

country. We start from a position of strength, and I will come as he

:18:27.:18:30.

would want be to come to be vigorous in promoting those strengths, and to

:18:31.:18:37.

influencing the negotiation so that the excellent workforce we have

:18:38.:18:40.

there can continue and go from strength to strength in the future.

:18:41.:18:47.

My right elbow friend will be unaware of the importance of this

:18:48.:18:51.

plant to the Cheshire economy. Will he ensure the house that he make

:18:52.:18:55.

sure you understands the skill and efficiency of this plant and indeed

:18:56.:19:00.

its workforce? I will indeed, from my additional conversations I think

:19:01.:19:06.

this is well understood. It is a matter of pride that our automotive

:19:07.:19:10.

industry in general and those two plants in particular are such

:19:11.:19:13.

high-performance, and there will be no one more vigorous in all parties.

:19:14.:19:22.

Does the Secretary of State believe that it is going to be much harder

:19:23.:19:29.

for companies that are looking at the integrated European operations

:19:30.:19:32.

to want to base themselves in the United Kingdom because of the

:19:33.:19:38.

uncertainties surrounding leaving the single market and the customs

:19:39.:19:41.

union? And does he agree that in their circumstances they are going

:19:42.:19:46.

to need some very attractive sweetness? What sweeteners has he

:19:47.:19:50.

offered, and are those is also going to be available to the medium and

:19:51.:19:54.

low priority areas the government have identified, such as fisheries

:19:55.:20:00.

and steel and telecoms? I would say what I said to the honourable

:20:01.:20:04.

gentleman who chairs the select committee. He should reflect on the

:20:05.:20:09.

competitiveness of our automotive industry. The reason that companies

:20:10.:20:13.

choose to invest in Britain is because we are a competitive place

:20:14.:20:20.

from which to do business. We have a skilled and flexible workforce. We

:20:21.:20:24.

have fantastic research and develop facilities. We have been absolutely

:20:25.:20:28.

clear in the industrial strategy consultation that these strengths

:20:29.:20:31.

will be extended, so that we continue to be a beacon of success

:20:32.:20:38.

in this and other industries. The Secretary of State has clearly made

:20:39.:20:41.

some reassuring noises to the firm. We need transparency on these. So

:20:42.:20:45.

will the Secretary of State now respond to the Treasury committee

:20:46.:20:50.

request to publish the letter that he sent Nissan on 21st of October,

:20:51.:20:56.

giving reassurances to them? My right honourable friend may not have

:20:57.:21:01.

noticed that, sometime ago, we said that of we would release the letter

:21:02.:21:06.

that was sent to to Nissan have the time that it is no longer

:21:07.:21:18.

commercially confidential. I commend the Secretary of State for his fast

:21:19.:21:20.

action in meeting all of the parties, and I speak as someone who

:21:21.:21:25.

represents people who work in the Ellesmere Port factory. We are all

:21:26.:21:32.

as local MP is justifiably proud of the work that they have done, which

:21:33.:21:38.

has kept this production one of the most efficient in the world. We do

:21:39.:21:46.

not bow to anybody in the world for our efficiency and productivity in

:21:47.:21:49.

the Ellesmere Port plant. But given that it is much cheaper,

:21:50.:21:54.

effectively, to get rid of British workers, because of the nature of

:21:55.:21:59.

the employment rights in this country, compared to Watt France and

:22:00.:22:03.

Germany, what can he do to insure that when it comes to potential

:22:04.:22:11.

cost-cutting, that equation is evened up and can support British

:22:12.:22:12.

correction and British jobs? I am proud of the performance of the

:22:13.:22:19.

two plants and the other plants we have in our automotive sector. What

:22:20.:22:28.

the PSA executives communicated was that performance is the guide to

:22:29.:22:33.

strategy. I think that those two plants we have very effective

:22:34.:22:37.

performance so I would want and expect them to be major parts of the

:22:38.:22:44.

future of an expanded group if the transaction proceeds. May I welcome

:22:45.:22:49.

the action of my right honourable friend in this incredibly important

:22:50.:22:57.

issue of retaining the plants. Most investment into motor Manufacturing

:22:58.:23:02.

in this country comes from overseas with the possible exception of Aston

:23:03.:23:06.

Martin and Triumph. Would my right honourable friend say what he's

:23:07.:23:10.

doing to encourage British-based investment into motor manufacturing

:23:11.:23:13.

so we don't always rely on overseas investment? I'm proud that we

:23:14.:23:19.

attract the world's best automotive companies and that they see Britain

:23:20.:23:23.

as a place to prosper and to succeed in. So I'm always encouraging that

:23:24.:23:30.

level of investment. But of course it's not just the major

:23:31.:23:36.

manufacturers. The supply chain is increasingly important in all

:23:37.:23:40.

advanced manufacturing including the automotive industry. And we have an

:23:41.:23:46.

increasingly good record in attracting small and medium-sized

:23:47.:23:50.

businesses either to come and locate here from overseas or to grow them

:23:51.:23:55.

from the bottom-up, as it were. And he will know that industrial

:23:56.:24:00.

strategy makes great focal point of the need and the opportunity to grow

:24:01.:24:08.

our supply chains. The Secretary of State I think understands how

:24:09.:24:12.

important the plant at Ellesmere Port and its suppliers and retailers

:24:13.:24:17.

are to the north-west, the wider North West's automotive sector which

:24:18.:24:21.

includes Jaguar, Land Rover in my own constituency. What is he going

:24:22.:24:26.

to do to make sure that we don't lose some of these essential skills,

:24:27.:24:34.

jobs, firms and that our sector in the Northwest does not shrink as a

:24:35.:24:36.

consequence of these factors which are completely out of control of the

:24:37.:24:42.

government and of the people who work at the Ellesmere Port plant?

:24:43.:24:46.

The honourable lady knows from work we have done together that I think

:24:47.:24:52.

it is possible to make a case for attracting investment and

:24:53.:24:56.

commitment. She is absolutely right that it is important, not just for

:24:57.:25:00.

the north-west but for the entire country, if you take the dealership

:25:01.:25:05.

network into account. I ambition is for our automotive sector, like the

:25:06.:25:08.

rest of the advanced Manufacturing, to be more successful and employee

:25:09.:25:13.

more people in the future. That doesn't happen by accident, it

:25:14.:25:17.

involves being engaged with the sector, they can sure that

:25:18.:25:20.

facilities for research and development, claiming, establish our

:25:21.:25:26.

reputation as the best place in the world for motor manufacturing. I

:25:27.:25:29.

will work with her and others to make sure that message is loudly

:25:30.:25:34.

understood. Leyland in my constituency has a long and proud

:25:35.:25:39.

history in the automotive sector, can my right honourable friend tell

:25:40.:25:42.

the house what support there will be for the automotive sector in the

:25:43.:25:47.

industrial strategy? Indeed. The automotive sector has been one of

:25:48.:25:50.

our most successful sectors in recent years and that partly comes

:25:51.:25:55.

from the effective arrangement through the automotive council put

:25:56.:26:01.

in place whereby the firms including the small and medium-sized suppliers

:26:02.:26:04.

can work together to support each other. There was an example of this

:26:05.:26:11.

in the national automotive innovation Centre I visited recently

:26:12.:26:16.

that is making new facilities available for people with new ideas,

:26:17.:26:21.

with setting up new businesses, so that that can reinforce and continue

:26:22.:26:27.

the success of one of our most effective industrial sectors. My

:26:28.:26:35.

constituents work for Vauxhall at Ellesmere Port and Unilever, so if

:26:36.:26:40.

there are members of this house who think everything is rosy in our

:26:41.:26:44.

economy, I would invite them to come to Wirral South and say that. When

:26:45.:26:48.

it comes to the high-value manufacturing that he has talked

:26:49.:26:51.

about, does he realise the importance of the customs union and

:26:52.:26:55.

has he made great and important contribution to the Prime Minister's

:26:56.:26:59.

strategy on Brexit in keeping us inside the customs union? The

:27:00.:27:04.

automotive sector and others trade a lot across borders and it is one of

:27:05.:27:10.

the reasons the Prime Minister has been clear that we need to be able

:27:11.:27:13.

to negotiate a trading arrangements that maintain our access across

:27:14.:27:19.

those borders without tariffs or bureaucratic impediments, that is

:27:20.:27:23.

clearly understood. Those negotiations have some way to go but

:27:24.:27:28.

it is important, I think, to emphasise, as I have done, and the

:27:29.:27:31.

Prime Minister has done, what our intention is. What guarantees might

:27:32.:27:38.

be required from General Motors USA to General Motors GB with respect to

:27:39.:27:46.

the pension deficit before any dispersal can take place? As my

:27:47.:27:51.

right honourable friend knows, the independent pensions regulator is

:27:52.:27:54.

the arbiter of any changes, were there to be any, and it is

:27:55.:28:01.

absolutely right that the robust independence is in place. I would

:28:02.:28:06.

emphasise that discussions are continuing, there is no agreement

:28:07.:28:10.

yet that has been made. As I said to a number of colleagues across the

:28:11.:28:14.

house, the future of pensioners is of course very important. I was

:28:15.:28:21.

involved in the discussions last time GM considered selling its

:28:22.:28:26.

European friends in the wake of the financial crisis and at that time we

:28:27.:28:31.

had a successful resolution in that the company decided to retain the

:28:32.:28:36.

brands. The secretary of State is right, Vauxhall is extremely

:28:37.:28:41.

successful, the Astra and the course are among the top ten bestselling

:28:42.:28:46.

cars in the UK. But the cars are made as part of a European wide

:28:47.:28:50.

company and a European wide supply chain. Can I ask the Secretary of

:28:51.:28:55.

State, in any of the discussions that he has had over the past week,

:28:56.:29:00.

have exchange rate movements over the past year been raised? In

:29:01.:29:06.

discussing the context of Brexit, of course we have discussed all aspects

:29:07.:29:13.

of it. And one of the features of decisions that are being made on

:29:14.:29:20.

investment is the opportunity, for example, to locate more of the

:29:21.:29:24.

supply chain nearer to the production facilities. And across

:29:25.:29:31.

the board, I think it is important to emphasise the commitments that we

:29:32.:29:37.

have two negotiate the best possible access to the single market but also

:29:38.:29:41.

the intrinsic competitiveness of the UK that make it attractive to

:29:42.:29:48.

overseas investors. If I was on the board of directors and had a very

:29:49.:29:54.

successful vehicle manufacturing output in the fifth biggest economy

:29:55.:29:57.

in the world and that economy was about to leave the EU, I think I'd

:29:58.:30:02.

want to invest more in that facility and make sure that I don't put all

:30:03.:30:07.

my eggs in one basket. Doesn't the future of Vauxhall look rather good,

:30:08.:30:13.

not the reverse? I would agree with my honourable friend in saying that

:30:14.:30:16.

we have, in Vauxhall, a very successful firm that is well

:30:17.:30:22.

regarded in the domestic market and across the continent. It is building

:30:23.:30:29.

on the success that I think is the prospect. It is important that

:30:30.:30:32.

through the discussions that is secured in the future arrangements.

:30:33.:30:43.

Many of the thousands of people employed at Vauxhall are

:30:44.:30:48.

understandably concerned about the future of their jobs. 80% of cards

:30:49.:30:55.

may get Pepper are exported to EU states, and 75% of the value of the

:30:56.:31:02.

car is imported. There has been meeting request from the Chief

:31:03.:31:05.

Executive the PSA group which Downing Street has said it will take

:31:06.:31:12.

in principle subject to diary. We'll be Secretary of State suggest that

:31:13.:31:15.

the Prime Minister makes space in her diary as a matter of urgency?

:31:16.:31:21.

The deal has not been done. The second thing is, no one could be

:31:22.:31:27.

under any illusions as to the vigour of our response. Of course the Prime

:31:28.:31:31.

Minister will need to find the time in her diary to meet. We are very

:31:32.:31:35.

keen to continue this close contact that we have had. The various

:31:36.:31:42.

takeovers talked about over the weekend have shown the importance of

:31:43.:31:46.

having a robust, enforceable set of rules on takeovers and mergers. When

:31:47.:31:50.

will the government come forward with their new policy in this area

:31:51.:31:54.

so that we can know, not only when we leave the European Union, how we

:31:55.:32:01.

will handle takeovers? It is important to reflect on the context

:32:02.:32:04.

that our reputation for being an open economy that attracts overseas

:32:05.:32:08.

investment is one of our foundations of success. So we need to maintain

:32:09.:32:15.

the success and that reputation. But we have said that we will bring

:32:16.:32:21.

forward proposals and will do that in due course and I will update the

:32:22.:32:28.

house at that time. As a trade union official three times I supported

:32:29.:32:32.

management and workers at Ellesmere Port through new model bidding

:32:33.:32:34.

processes and each time they demonstrated themselves to be

:32:35.:32:38.

productive, efficient, flexible and their plant to be profitable.

:32:39.:32:42.

Unfortunately those attributes don't cut any ice with Peugeot as the

:32:43.:32:48.

honourable member for Coventry will attest. Can I suggest to the

:32:49.:32:52.

Secretary of State that he uses this opportunity to beef up his

:32:53.:32:56.

industrial strategy and suggest that any public procurement of motor

:32:57.:33:00.

vehicles by police forces, local authorities, government department

:33:01.:33:04.

's, only procure cars by companies that built in the UK and that those

:33:05.:33:07.

who choose not to build in the UK will not be considered? What I would

:33:08.:33:16.

say is that of course I discussed with PSA the context of their

:33:17.:33:24.

closure of the plant in Coventry. It is a new management of the company

:33:25.:33:28.

and what they described to me is a different approach. These are early

:33:29.:33:33.

stages but that was a better message to receive than the alternative. But

:33:34.:33:40.

like him I want to make sure that is reflected in practice. On

:33:41.:33:44.

procurement, it is obviously important that we get good value for

:33:45.:33:49.

money. One of the things we have done is to change procurement rules

:33:50.:33:52.

to allow some of these wider impacts to be taken into account. We know

:33:53.:34:04.

that Opel has not made a profit in the EU since 1999 and the Chief

:34:05.:34:08.

Executive of PSA has a record of drastically reducing costs. But I

:34:09.:34:13.

wonder whether my right honourable friend could tell us what further

:34:14.:34:17.

tours in his armament he has to make sure that PSA do not move the

:34:18.:34:21.

factories and the supply chain out of the UK? What I would say to my

:34:22.:34:27.

honourable friend is again, the discussions are at an early stage,

:34:28.:34:33.

the leak of these discussions only came out in the past week, and I

:34:34.:34:38.

think I've had a number of meetings since then and been very clear with

:34:39.:34:43.

the house, but my view is that the successful operations and we have in

:34:44.:34:46.

this country need to be maintained to continue. The PSA side of the

:34:47.:34:53.

discussions have pointed out quite reasonably that this is not their

:34:54.:34:58.

company yet to make contractual statements about. But it is clear

:34:59.:35:03.

that direction that the discussions are going in, and I will continue to

:35:04.:35:09.

be vigorous in extracting the best possible agreements about the future

:35:10.:35:15.

of Vauxhall. Can I also welcome the ministers statement and the content

:35:16.:35:21.

of what he's said so far. It is clear the UK plants at Vauxhall are

:35:22.:35:26.

run to a high standard. Can the Minister outlined what support he

:35:27.:35:30.

will be offering to ensure the plants are maintained, enhanced, and

:35:31.:35:36.

jobs secured in any takeover, and what influence including financial

:35:37.:35:39.

assistance does the Minister believe the government can exert? I am

:35:40.:35:43.

grateful for what he said. I come back to the fact that the Vauxhall

:35:44.:35:47.

operation in the UK is successful, it is efficient and effective. And

:35:48.:35:53.

that is, as with other car companies, the reason that

:35:54.:35:56.

investments come to this country. We have had a very successful programme

:35:57.:36:02.

of joint working with the automotive sector in areas like research and

:36:03.:36:06.

development and in training and obscuring the workforce. That

:36:07.:36:12.

continues and is available to any manufacturer that participates in

:36:13.:36:19.

the sector. Thank you Mr Speaker. The UK car sector and the

:36:20.:36:23.

manufacturing of steel are inextricably linked, so what role

:36:24.:36:26.

does my right honourable friend see the industrial strategy having to

:36:27.:36:31.

the betterment of both? The benefit of an industrial strategy is that

:36:32.:36:35.

you can look at the connections between areas and between different

:36:36.:36:41.

sectors. And of course a thriving automotive sector in this country is

:36:42.:36:48.

good for the steel industry. Does the Secretary of State agree that

:36:49.:36:54.

weaker protection against dismissal afforded to EU workers makes them

:36:55.:36:58.

more vulnerable relative to their European counterparts, and given his

:36:59.:37:05.

parties, version into a party of the workers, what plans does he have two

:37:06.:37:08.

strengthen protections for UK workers? First of all, the standards

:37:09.:37:15.

that we have for workers in this country are very exacting, and we

:37:16.:37:20.

have made a commitment to maintain them as we leave the European Union.

:37:21.:37:24.

The second thing is that our record of employment is one that we should

:37:25.:37:31.

be proud of. Just in the last few days we were able to report

:37:32.:37:36.

employment of record numbers. And I think that shows that the

:37:37.:37:43.

environment that we operate in is attractive to investors, and the

:37:44.:37:48.

consequence of that is good jobs for British workers.

:37:49.:37:53.

Has the Secretary of State has said, the UK automated manufacturing

:37:54.:38:00.

sector has been extremely impressive than the last decade, but what is

:38:01.:38:05.

striking is that the one advanced industrial nation that hasn't

:38:06.:38:08.

invested in the UK manufacturing sector is France. Does the Secretary

:38:09.:38:16.

of State really believe that the French business, like PSA, will

:38:17.:38:21.

choose to invest in the UK outside of the European Union, or will

:38:22.:38:27.

invest in France and Germany? And will they therefore urgently look at

:38:28.:38:33.

a British solution to the future of this excellent plant which provides

:38:34.:38:39.

work in North Wales and Merseyside and right across the Northwest? I

:38:40.:38:45.

would say that notwithstanding and in many cases as a result of the

:38:46.:38:53.

successful partnership with other overseas car manufacturers, 2016 was

:38:54.:38:59.

a record year for carpet action in this country. It was at a 17 year

:39:00.:39:05.

high. So I think that providing the arrangements are right, we should

:39:06.:39:11.

welcome the confidence of the countries have in this country, and

:39:12.:39:16.

of course the conversations I have heard with PSA lead me to believe

:39:17.:39:22.

that the intentions as communicated to me are to invest in performance,

:39:23.:39:26.

and we have a very proud record of that. The Secretary of State

:39:27.:39:37.

approaches this with great calm and carefulness. I am sure he has looked

:39:38.:39:44.

at the impact on the firm of being inside and outside the customs

:39:45.:39:49.

union. I know he wants to have a zero turf regime with Europe, but we

:39:50.:39:54.

have heard what a high proportion of the components are imported. Does he

:39:55.:39:59.

know whether the Vauxhall cars which are exported would actually meet the

:40:00.:40:05.

threshold for made in the UK under the rules of origin? The little lady

:40:06.:40:14.

takes us further ahead than these preliminary discussions about a

:40:15.:40:18.

prospective scale -- sale of GM 's assets to PSA has got to. I have

:40:19.:40:22.

been very clear, not just with PSA but with every auto company, and

:40:23.:40:27.

every manufacturer, that our intention in the negotiations is to

:40:28.:40:31.

pursue constructive negotiations, to have the best possible access to the

:40:32.:40:37.

single market, respecting the need to avoid bureaucratic elements as

:40:38.:40:45.

well as tariffs. I was born and spent the first 40 years of my life

:40:46.:40:49.

in Luton Soi know-how losing the Vauxhall plant would absolutely rip

:40:50.:40:54.

the heart out of the town but it is a much older issue than that, and

:40:55.:40:59.

the anxiety felt by Vauxhall workers now is being shared by other workers

:41:00.:41:03.

in the manufacturing sector as we face Brexit. What assurances can the

:41:04.:41:08.

Minister give that he is building into the strategy is something that

:41:09.:41:12.

will embed those manufacturing jobs in our communities? I am delighted

:41:13.:41:15.

the honourable lady made that point and I hope she will respond to the

:41:16.:41:20.

consultation, because it is very clear it reflect on and proposes

:41:21.:41:26.

ways to strengthen what are already pillars of success, including our

:41:27.:41:30.

excellent research and of element in terms of the efficiency of

:41:31.:41:33.

industrial processes, and the skills of the workforce. You can't stand

:41:34.:41:38.

still. You need to prepare for the future. And that is precisely what

:41:39.:41:42.

the industrial strategy, which has been warmly welcomed by

:41:43.:41:45.

international investors, is setting out to do. Mr Speaker, this deal

:41:46.:41:51.

inevitably would lead to job losses around Europe. The Prime Minister

:41:52.:41:55.

has said we might have to leave the EU without a deal, so tariffs on

:41:56.:42:00.

vehicles and components are now a possibility. Doesn't that mean that

:42:01.:42:05.

the UK employees inevitably will be at a disadvantage, relative to their

:42:06.:42:08.

colleagues elsewhere in the European Union? What I think the right

:42:09.:42:14.

honourable gentleman has missed out of that analysis is the efficiency

:42:15.:42:18.

and the success of our operations here, and also the strong domestic

:42:19.:42:25.

market that we have in this country. It is necessary to negotiate and to

:42:26.:42:31.

get the best possible terms for our Brexit arrangement, everyone is

:42:32.:42:35.

clear about that, but you should not underplay the strengths we have that

:42:36.:42:39.

attract businesses to invest in this country.

:42:40.:42:48.

Just for one moment, it would appear that there has been no change in the

:42:49.:42:55.

processes of the house as a result of the change of the table, no wigs,

:42:56.:43:01.

which I certainly much welcome. I wish it had happened a long time

:43:02.:43:06.

ago. But can I ask you this, and I do so with respect to the message

:43:07.:43:12.

which is received from the Queen to the head of state, what -- from the

:43:13.:43:17.

head of state, I am just wondering whether the message could be

:43:18.:43:21.

communicated to the house by you, sir, instead of the whip coming in

:43:22.:43:27.

with a stick and the rest of it. No, Diyas.

:43:28.:43:33.

I am very grateful to the honourable gentleman for his point of order.

:43:34.:43:38.

The answer is that the message that is the livered comes from the

:43:39.:43:45.

government, and so I don't myself see that there would be an obvious

:43:46.:43:48.

logic about it being delivered by me. LAUGHTER

:43:49.:44:01.

I'm extremely grateful, but Her Majesty communicates through

:44:02.:44:04.

ministers, that is what has happened. With respect to the other

:44:05.:44:07.

observation the other honourable gentleman has made, I note what he

:44:08.:44:12.

has said, and without rehearsing the Holebas you, the honourable

:44:13.:44:14.

gentleman will know that the request for change came from the clerk of

:44:15.:44:22.

the house and his senior colleagues, and it was agreed to unanimously by

:44:23.:44:27.

members of the House of Commons commission. I made no bones about

:44:28.:44:30.

the fact when I responded points of order that I welcome that change,

:44:31.:44:35.

that it was a change proposed by others, and agreed by the commission

:44:36.:44:45.

chaired by me. Very briefly, Mr Speaker, I agree internally what you

:44:46.:44:49.

said about the weeks and the rest of it. I just wonder whether the

:44:50.:44:54.

procedure we have at the very beginning, despite the explanation

:44:55.:44:57.

you have given on the advice I understand of the clerk, whether you

:44:58.:45:02.

could be so altered so that there would be more emphasis on the

:45:03.:45:06.

message from the head of state from the Queen, rather than all the sort

:45:07.:45:11.

of attention to the whip coming in, and whether he will be able to march

:45:12.:45:18.

backwards without any difficulties and the rest. It doesn't give the

:45:19.:45:22.

impression of a modernised House of Commons. I am very grateful to the

:45:23.:45:27.

honourable gentleman. I have made a point before and I think most people

:45:28.:45:33.

will accept this, that change in this place comes about by Will of

:45:34.:45:39.

the house, and it is right that that should be the case. If the

:45:40.:45:43.

honourable gentleman wishes to initiate a process of attempted

:45:44.:45:49.

change, it is absolutely open to him to do so, and for the case to be

:45:50.:45:53.

argued either way. I think we will leave therefore today. We come now

:45:54.:46:02.

to the programme motion. The Minister to move? The question is

:46:03.:46:07.

the proper is on the order paper, the number

:46:08.:46:11.

two motion. Well, I allowed the scope, and the

:46:12.:46:26.

momentary weight, and the honourable gentleman has taken his opportunity.

:46:27.:46:32.

Mr Peter Bone. Mr Speaker, I just wondered if the Minister could

:46:33.:46:35.

explain why we are changing the programme motion? I am extremely

:46:36.:46:43.

grateful to the Minister for a succinct speech. She does not seem

:46:44.:46:50.

to wish to take advantage. The question is is on the order paper in

:46:51.:46:55.

respect of the programme motion. Say I? On the country say though, the

:46:56.:47:00.

ayes have it, the ayes have it. De Klerk will now proceed to be of the

:47:01.:47:05.

day. Cultural property bill not prevented in the public bill to be

:47:06.:47:14.

considered. Now. Thank you. We begin with amendment four, with which it

:47:15.:47:18.

will be convenient to debate the other amendments. The move amendment

:47:19.:47:26.

four I called Mr Kevin Brennan. Thank you very much. I rise to move

:47:27.:47:30.

amendment four which turns in my name in order to probe the

:47:31.:47:35.

government not thinking on whether digital attacks on cultural property

:47:36.:47:41.

which take a digital form would be considered as damaging cultural

:47:42.:47:43.

property under this bill. If I could just say in passing that we are

:47:44.:47:49.

broadly in support, very much in support actually, of the bill,

:47:50.:47:52.

having judges to do ourselves and sadly run out of time in the last

:47:53.:47:57.

parliament, prior to 2010, because of course this is a bill that will

:47:58.:48:02.

bring into domestic law the offence created by Article 15 of the second

:48:03.:48:06.

protocol to the 1954 Hague Convention, so it is not before time

:48:07.:48:10.

we are doing this and I am glad there are support across the house.

:48:11.:48:16.

We want to during the remaining stages just probed to make sure the

:48:17.:48:21.

government was my position is clear and on the record before the bill is

:48:22.:48:26.

sent off for its royal assent. During previous stages of debate, we

:48:27.:48:34.

had many discussions regarding the Digital reach of this legislation,

:48:35.:48:38.

considering that the original convention as I said was written in

:48:39.:48:44.

1954, with a subsequent protocol of fiercely long before the issues of

:48:45.:48:48.

digital property would have been actively considered. The government

:48:49.:48:53.

during the course of the bill has provided numerous assurances that

:48:54.:48:57.

cultural property which is in digital form could be protected, and

:48:58.:49:01.

we very much welcome the assurances that the minister gave us during

:49:02.:49:06.

committee stage to that effect. And of course if that is true it would

:49:07.:49:10.

be natural therefore if digital property itself is protected under

:49:11.:49:15.

the bill that digital attacks on that digital property would also be

:49:16.:49:20.

covered. And the purpose of this amendment is to get the government

:49:21.:49:25.

to confirm whether or not that is the case, and that our understanding

:49:26.:49:30.

of that is correct. It would not be reasonable to recognised as the tour

:49:31.:49:34.

cultural property but not digital attack upon such digital cultural

:49:35.:49:41.

property. But since this bill involves creating criminal offences,

:49:42.:49:46.

having the government's thinking on the record is very important. The

:49:47.:49:53.

government's response to a different amendment highlights the need for

:49:54.:49:57.

clarity here. In committee we debated whether the cultural emblem,

:49:58.:50:01.

which is introduced in the bill from the convention, the blue shield,

:50:02.:50:09.

which marks are a protected out, could be shown in digital form. The

:50:10.:50:13.

Minister acquired at Columbine on 15th November 2016 in committee and

:50:14.:50:21.

I quote for modern born digital material, such as films and music,

:50:22.:50:24.

in practice we would expect the emblem to be displayed on the

:50:25.:50:27.

physical object on which the material is stored, or on the

:50:28.:50:32.

building in which the physical storage object is kept. Rather than

:50:33.:50:38.

being displayed digitally. That would help to ensure that the emblem

:50:39.:50:43.

is readily visible. That is not to say that it cannot also be depicted

:50:44.:50:48.

in digital form. Now that could be interpreted potentially Mr Deputy

:50:49.:50:53.

Speaker to assume that cultural property, even that which is

:50:54.:50:57.

digital, would only be attacked in a physical sense. That is that it

:50:58.:51:02.

could be interpreted as an assumption that any attacker would

:51:03.:51:07.

be in physical proximity to the item, or in close on a physical

:51:08.:51:10.

proximity to the item to be able to see the blue shield on its casing.

:51:11.:51:17.

However, of course, in reality, digital content is more likely to be

:51:18.:51:22.

attacked by way of hacking. In which case, the question of how the blue

:51:23.:51:28.

shield could flag digital cultural property to a potential attacker is

:51:29.:51:34.

relevant. You won't see the shield on the hard drive's casing if you

:51:35.:51:37.

are hacking into a database of some

:51:38.:51:39.

Download Subtitles

SRT

ASS