2. Urgent Question: Ford’s Bridgend Engine Plant

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 2:34 pm on 13 September 2016.

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Photo of Ken Skates Ken Skates Labour 2:34, 13 September 2016

Ford is one of our anchor companies; we have a very close working relationship with them, and I asked my most senior officials to meet with senior executives in Europe to discuss long-term plans for the Bridgend site. That was back in June, when they assured us that the plans at that point, for 250,000 units, were still absolutely fine. That was back in June.

The Member is right—as I’ve said to Suzy Davies—that, in the very short term, Brexit may not be an immediate problem in its own right. However, Brexit is contributing to an unstable trading environment because of currency fluctuations. That cannot be welcome. Longer term, unless we have clarity about what it is we want from Brexit discussions, then I’m afraid it will just create even more uncertainty. Regardless of how you operate, or what you operate in, or whatever sector, what business wants more than anything is stability—in terms of a regulatory environment and in terms of tariffs. That’s what we wish to see delivered, for Ford and for all manufacturing in Wales.