Motor industry probe hits Lancs
THE government took a select committee on the road this week as part of an investigation into the plight of motor industry.
A Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (BERR) meeting was held in Chorley, close to Leyland Trucks which has been forced to cut several hundred jobs as orders have dried up.
The committee’s rare visit to the regions follows a trip to Birmingham where leading motor manufacturers were quizzed about the state of the sector.
The committee is looking at ways in which the government can help the industry through the economic downturn and support employees.
In Chorley it heard from representatives of Multipart, Leyland and the Northwest Development Agency. Jaguar Land Rover, Toyota, the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) and the Retail Motor Industry Federation (RMIF) all gave evidence in Birmingham.
Steven Broomhead, chief executive of the NWDA, said: “To mitigate the effects of the current economic downturn, the NWDA has provided focussed support on both regional and national automotive supply chains, to ensure that the manufacturers are able to produce vehicles in the short and medium term.
“The Northwest automotive economy is worth over £9bn per year, and employs over 40,000 people in 500 companies. We have long recognised the importance of this sector and have built strong long term relationships with the manufacturers.”
