(Eddisbury) (Con)
1. What recent steps his Department has taken to support the
development of electric vehicles. [911243]
(Montgomeryshire) (Con)
13. What recent steps his Department has taken to support the
development of electric vehicles. [911255]
The Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial
Strategy (Greg Clark)
In May I announced an additional £28 million, from the £250
million Faraday challenge, for the UK Battery Industrialisation
Centre, where industry will test next generation world-leading
technologies.
Does the Secretary of State agree that for electric vehicles to
thrive additional capacity will be required, and that energy
efficiency measures to bring every home to an energy performance
certificate C standard are vital in delivering that, as they will
reduce energy consumption by 25% and free that capacity for
electric vehicle use?
I completely agree with my hon. Friend. She is right to point out
the connections between our energy systems and the future of
mobility in how we drive cars. That is why the industrial
strategy sets up both as grand challenges and why the Faraday
Challenge addresses both of them.
The Welsh Government are also promoting the development of
electric vehicles, including the associated network of electric
charging points. What steps is the Secretary of State taking to
ensure liaison across the border between England and Wales to
deliver the best possible distribution of electric vehicle
charging points?
My hon. Friend makes an excellent point. It is clear that if
drivers are to have the confidence that they will be able to
charge their vehicles, every part of the United Kingdom needs to
be a part of that. My hon. Friends and I have regular discussions
with the Welsh Government, and the roll-out of the charging
network is in all parts of the United Kingdom.
(Wirral South) (Lab)
The Secretary of State knows that many of my constituents work in
the automotive industry and how serious the situation is with
Brexit. Constituents are writing to me to ask why there are so
few charging points in the Wirral. This is a huge issue. Will he
do something that this Government really have control over and
take action now on the business rates impact on the automotive
industry, so we can at last have some positive news for the
automotive industry in Britain?
I think the hon. Lady knows that I have regular discussions with
Vauxhall and its owner PSA. In fact, PSA has invested very
substantially. One of its most recent major investments in Europe
was to strengthen the Luton plant with the next generation of
technology. We talked to it about investment in Ellesmere Port,
which she knows is important.
In terms of charging points, we have one of the best charging
networks in Europe, but we need to expand it further. As the hon.
Lady knows, through the automotive sector deal we have a very
close relationship with the industry and work jointly with it.
(Ogmore) (Lab)
May I press the Secretary of State on yesterday’s statement from
the Secretary of State for Wales in relation to Ford? There is
capacity in the Bridgend plant and it would be a very good way to
keep it open. Will he work with the Welsh Government to ensure
that electric batteries can be constructed at Ford, to help to
keep the jobs in and around my community?
The hon. Gentleman makes an excellent point. I am delighted he
was in the discussion that we had yesterday and that he will
serve on the taskforce that has been established. The quality of
the workforce, its facilities and connections represent a
fantastic opportunity for new investment, whether by Ford or by
others in the automotive sector. We work very closely to bring in
those investments.
(Watford) (Con)
I commend the Secretary of State and the Department for the
Faraday challenge and the development of battery technology.
However, does he agree that to have successful battery technology
in the UK we need a successful automotive manufacturing sector,
and that to do that we need a very close relationship with the EU
for frictionless trade and everything that goes with it?
My hon. Friend is right. In his time, he worked very hard to
secure some of the investments that have been made. The
automotive industry, along with many others, has always been
clear that the strengths of the UK are at least in part drawn
from our ability to export and import components very flexibly
without delay. It is vital that that should continue.
(Kilmarnock and Loudoun)
(SNP)
Sales of electric cars in the UK in 2018 hovered at just 2.7%. In
Norway, they rose to 31.2%, up from 20.8% in 2017. What lessons
can the UK learn from a successful, driven, small independent
country?
The take-up of electric vehicles is growing very quickly in this
country. The investment that we are making in the charging
network, with 17,000 public charging points, is a very important
contribution to that. In the weeks ahead, the hon. Gentleman will
see further announcements on how we can accelerate the deployment
of charging technology.
(Rugby) (Con)
I wonder whether the Secretary of State has received his
invitation to the reveal of Lotus’s new electric hypercar on 16
July. It is the world’s first electric hypercar—designed,
engineered and built in Britain. In a week when the motor
industry has had some difficult news, does he agree that this is
a great shot in the arm for the UK motor industry?
It is indeed a great shot in the arm and I hope that I will see
my hon. Friend there to celebrate it. It is fair to reflect that
this is a difficult, challenging time for the automotive industry
around the world, but through the decisions that we took in the
industrial strategy to emphasise battery electric vehicles and
the new technology, and connected and autonomous vehicles, we
have made the right judgment about how to attract the jobs and
companies that will be expanding in the future.
Mr (East Londonderry)
(DUP)
Given the ongoing problems in recent years regarding the UK
automotive sector and the ongoing problems affecting Tesla, is
there not an opportunity for the Minister and the Government to
approach Tesla and the UK automotive industry to see whether some
acquisition could be arrived at to produce electric cars in this
country?
We have many discussions. Just a few days ago, I had a major
potential investor in battery technology in my office to discuss
a potential investment. Through the Automotive Council, we work
very closely with the sector, and the national battery
manufacturing centre is a collaboration between the players in
the industry that gives them confidence to be able to invest for
the future in the UK.
Mr (Kettering) (Con)
It is UK Government policy to end the sale of new diesel and
petrol cars by 2040, but do we really have to wait 21 years to
achieve that objective?
It is important that we have a realistic move to the new fleet
that we need. The targets were adopted in consultation with the
industry. A lot of the capital investment needs to take place
over a substantial period of time, and I would not want a
situation in which we lost jobs and opportunities by setting a
target that was not deliverable and feasible for manufacturers.
(Salford and Eccles)
(Lab)
Might I begin by expressing my support for the efforts of my hon.
Friend the Member for Leeds West (Rachel Reeves) in bringing
forward her Bill today to legislate for net zero emissions by
2050? To achieve that, supporting our automotive industry will be
vital, but Ford had warned that leaving the EU would add hundreds
of millions to its costs, and after the vote, it said that it was
considering closing plants. This warning has come to pass. Ford
is now saying that another 6,000 jobs could be at risk in the
event of no deal, which is particularly concerning now that it
looks likely that the next PM will actively pursue it. What
direct support has the Secretary of State offered Ford to reverse
its decision, and has he considered the impact of a no deal on
manufacturing when deciding who to back as the next Prime
Minister?
We have led the world and the cross-party consensus across the
House on our move to net zero. The hon. Lady will know that just
this week, the International Energy Agency described the
Government’s efforts as
“an inspiration for many countries who seek to design effective
decarbonisation frameworks.”
When it comes to Ford and the automotive sector, she is right
that companies in the sector have been crystal clear that we need
to leave the European Union with a deal that allows us to
continue to trade without frictions so that we are able to grasp
the opportunities that we will have in the future. All my efforts
are directed at securing that deal.
I actually asked about what support had been offered to Ford.
Last night I spoke to a Bridgend councillor, who said
“We don’t need taskforces, commissions or working groups, we
desperately need investment in Bridgend now.”
Sadly, it is not looking like any of the candidates for PM will
support our car industry going forward. One thinks he knows more
about car manufacturing than the boss of Jaguar Land Rover.
Another said that there will be a stronger manufacturing base if
we leave. Another denies that Nissan’s decision to pull the
X-Trail was about Brexit, despite the company highlighting
uncertainty; and the one who is allegedly the most reasonable has
said that he is prepared to leave without a deal if there is a
straight choice. Is it not the truth that whoever takes over as
PM will drive manufacturing into the ground with their reckless
approach to Brexit and that the Secretary of State’s legacy will
sadly be decimated industries across our country?
If the hon. Lady talks to people in the sector, she will know
that the work we do with all companies in the sector is well
respected and well regarded, whether that is the Faraday
challenge or the support for individual companies such as we have
seen in recent years. That support is available to Ford just as
it is to any company working in the sector. As part of the work
we are doing with the Welsh Government, we will attract a new
investor to make use of those facilities and keep jobs for the
future.
In terms of the relationship with the European Union, most, if
not all, automotive suppliers want to see us reach a deal. That
is my view, and I hope it is the hon. Lady’s view. In fairness,
they have also said that the deal negotiated by the Prime
Minister should have been approved. It is therefore of regret to
me that that advice was not followed.
