2. Urgent Question: Ford’s Bridgend Engine Plant

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 2:27 pm on 13 September 2016.

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Photo of Suzy Davies Suzy Davies Conservative 2:27, 13 September 2016

Diolch, Lywydd. Thank you as well, Cabinet Secretary. I found your answers quite helpful, actually, because I think we all share the same view on the quality and the effectiveness of the plant, but, despite that, any drop in investment is always going to be of concern to the workforce. The First Minister says that the problem is tariffs. You’ve said that there is a global drop in demand for the type of engines. I’m wondering which is the greater driver on this, and I wonder if you can cast some light on that. When you say that the Welsh Government will—and I’m quoting you—‘do everything it can’ to support the continuation of jobs in Bridgend, I’m curious to know precisely what you mean by that. Because it’s one thing to say that Aston Martin is there and that there’s a possibility that there’s an opportunity, shall we say, for Ford there. But, what exactly has Ford Europe told you about these high-tech ideas that are in development, and what you, as part of the Welsh Government, could do to bring those ideas forward more swiftly, so that the concerns about alternative production there might be met and put to bed, if you like? Because, standing where I am, it’s very difficult to imagine what that alternative production might look like, unless somebody actually tells me what it looks like.

In terms of additional financial support, you hinted that that might be on the table in your final answer to Huw Irranca-Davies there. But of course, £15 million from Welsh Government has already gone into this plant. I’m curious to know what guarantees you insisted upon before that £15 million was given. Was it just that jobs would be guaranteed, or was it that Ford’s own level of investment in that plant was also guaranteed? Because, again, you hinted in your responses that there might be changes of percentage of what you are going to hand over on that £15 million if you didn’t get the answers you were hoping for from Ford. So, effectively, if Ford’s decision doesn’t affect that commitment, I want to know why not.