Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 2:36 pm on 13 September 2016.
Can I thank the Member for his question? I should just say that we have been assured by Ford—I must stress that we have been assured—that there will be no surplus of labour in the short term. So, those jobs there—the 1,850—are secure and safe in the short term. But, as I’ve tried to impress upon Members, I wish to see the plant secured for the long term, and not just the 1,850 people who work there now, but for future generations, and, indeed, a larger workforce, who would be able to develop a new generation of engines.
In terms of my anticipated visit to Detroit, it’s true that Ford Europe are the decision makers in terms of the development of engines that are produced on the continent, and within the continent, of Europe. However, I see no harm in influencing Ford at their headquarters level, in regard to this decision and any others. So, I wish to be able to meet with not just Ford Europe, but also Ford in Detroit, to discuss Wales’s part in the Ford family. I think it’s worth saying that we’ll be meeting—myself and the First Minister—in the coming weeks with the head of Ford Europe’s powertrain manufacturing unit. We intend discussing with him not just how demand for the new Dragon engine can be stimulated—both by Ford and by the market—but also how we can influence, how we can help and how we can assist in new technologies that Ford is wishing to develop not just here, but right across Europe, or indeed, as I said in answer to one of the earlier questions, right around the globe.