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(South Basildon and
East Thurrock) (Con)
2. What recent steps his Department has taken to support the
development of electric and autonomous vehicles. [902880]
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The Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial
Strategy (Greg Clark)
Two weeks ago I announced the location for the new national
Faraday battery scale-up facility, which will be built in
Coventry. On the same day, Jaguar Land Rover announced its
intention to produce battery electric vehicles in the west
midlands, thus bringing the region to the forefront of modern
mobility in the United Kingdom.
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When it comes to autonomous and electric vehicles, public
trust in the exciting technology involved is key to making
the most of the opportunities that it presents. What
discussions has my right hon. Friend had with industry to
combat the Luddites and dispel the mythical fears of that
exciting technology that are currently being promoted?
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My hon. Friend has made an excellent point. Part of the
programme involves test beds to demonstrate the new
technologies. The demonstrations will be open to the public
so that they can see for themselves, and they will begin in
Milton Keynes, Greenwich, Bristol and Coventry. However,
people are already experiencing these technologies through
satnav, cruise control and automatic parking, and I hope that
increasing exposure will reveal their benefits.
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(Ogmore) (Lab)
The Secretary of State mentioned Jaguar Land Rover. As he
will know, Ford in Bridgend, which neighbours my constituency
and employs hundreds of workers there, is pulling out of the
contract early. Has the Secretary of State had any
conversations with Ford about the possibility of converging
its lines to produce electric batteries for electric cars?
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The hon. Gentleman will be pleased to know that I shall be
meeting the head of Ford’s European operations immediately
after this session to discuss the fact that Ford has based
its new development of electric and autonomous vehicles in
Britain.
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(Havant) (Con)
Britain has the potential to be a world leader in developing
the new regulatory standards that will govern electric and
autonomous vehicles. Will the Secretary of State work with
industry, and with other Departments, to ensure that Britain
leads the world and that other countries adopt our standards?
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I will indeed. The industrial strategy makes it clear that
being at the forefront of the regulatory standards for these
new technologies gives us a big advantage. The Automated and
Electric Vehicles Bill, which is currently before Parliament,
is intended to establish—before most other countries—the
right regulatory standards, so that we can make progress with
those technologies.
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Mr (Huddersfield)
(Lab/Co-op)
The Secretary of State knows that no assessment of the impact
of Brexit on the sector has been carried out by anyone, apart
from the RAND Corporation, which told us this morning that
this and every other sector will be deeply harmed by Brexit.
What does he say in response to that important and thorough
investigation?
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I think the hon. Gentleman knows that I have continuous
discussions with all the sectors for which I am responsible,
including the automotive sector. They lead me to make sure
that, as part of our negotiating mandate, we get the best
possible deal. The agreement achieved in Brussels last week,
including the transitional phase, had been pressed for by the
automotive sector in particular.
