2. Urgent Question: Ford’s Bridgend Engine Plant

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 2:20 pm on 13 September 2016.

Alert me about debates like this

Photo of Bethan Sayed Bethan Sayed Plaid Cymru 2:20, 13 September 2016

Presiding Officer, I find it quite disturbing that the First Minister, whose constituency it’s in, has left on this very question because I wanted to refer earlier to what he said with regard to Brexit because I share a bit of cynicism about this being entirely to do with Brexit, considering that Ford is a multinational company, and they did not say this pre Brexit. Since devolution the Welsh Government has invested over £43 million of public money in Ford Bridgend, a not inconsiderable investment in a plant that is just 36 years old, and one that also sources little if nothing from within Wales. I believe that the last of the three rounds of funding for the EcoBoost engine was paid last year. Given the company’s history in Swansea—and I have the scars, alongside the Visteon pensions fight—what guarantee have you sought from the company that it won’t just up sticks, leave the staff in the lurch and then give the bare minimum back to Wales after having had so much funding from you as a Welsh Government?