Nissan in Sunderland

Emma Lewell-Buck Excerpts

Monday 4th February 2019 Commons Chamber

[Greg Clark]

I do agree with my hon. Friend. She knows the industry well and she knows that, time and again, the leaders—the chief executives—of the players, big and small, in the industry have called on us to back the deal for precisely the reasons that she gives.

[Mrs Emma Lewell-Buck (South Shields) (Lab)]

Many of my constituents work at Nissan, and many more at the Port of Tyne in my constituency, which is a large part of Nissan’s supply chain. The Secretary of State has failed to answer what assessment he has made of the impact of this decision on the wider supply chain, but he keeps saying to us, “Back the deal”. He and the Government are offering zero clarity on the true impact of that very deal, so will he share that with us now?

[Greg Clark]

I think that I have been clear that the investment that is being made into the Qashqai is an expanded investment, which will have opportunities for the supply chain, but that the supply chain will lose the prospects of supplying the new model that we had hoped would be there—that is clearly understood. Again, I say to the hon. Lady that I want, as much as she does, to resolve the question of our future relationship. The leaders of the automotive sector have said that the deal that has been negotiated would do that and they have urged us in this House to get on and approve it.