Can I thank the Member for his question? The Member will be aware that a decision on the Vauxhall Astra had been deferred after Brexit due to uncertainties, and it’s quite clear that for Vauxhall, for Ford, for Nissan—for the entire automotive sector—what is required most is certainty over the future deal that the UK will reach with the European Union. Ellesmere Port is actually currently one of the most productive facilities in the new combined company, but there will be 24 factories across the EU as part of the new company. It will be Europe’s second biggest manufacturer after Volkswagen. We wish to see Ellesmere Port receiving the investment from the UK Government that will enable it to grow and prosper.

In terms of the assistance that we can give, of course, with so many people being employed from within Wales at the Vauxhall site in Ellesmere Port, there is a critical role for the skills training provision providers in north Wales, and so, for the regional skills partnership, this is a vitally important piece of work. I know that the colleges in north Wales have provided exceptional employees with the skills that are required to ensure that there’s maximum productivity at the site, and I also know that the regional skills partnership is acutely aware of the challenges, but equally the opportunities, at Ellesmere Port. I have sought a meeting with UK Ministers to discuss the automotive sector. This, of course, is the latest in a series of announcements that demonstrates the very great need for the UK Government to act in a more interventionist manner. The words have been put on paper that suggest the Government is willing to do that, but tomorrow the UK Government can actually throw money behind their words and invest in the manufacturing sector across the UK.