Commons Sense

House of Commons · Adjournment Debate

Britishvolt

25 January 2023 · 1 other contributor

Opened by Ian Lavery Lab Wansbeck

EconomyEmploymentBusiness & Trade

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Ian Lavery raised concerns about britishvolt in the House of Commons. A government minister responded. Other MPs also contributed.

Key points

  • The hon. Member for Wansbeck discusses the collapse of Britishvolt, a project promising thousands of jobs in Cambois.
  • The Government provided 100 million from the Automotive Transformation Fund but did not meet further support conditions.
  • The Minister confirms the government's commitment to battery production in the UK, viewing Cambois as an ideal site.

How the debate unfolded

MPs spoke in turn to share their views and ask questions. Here's what each person said.

Opened the debate

Ian Lavery Lab Wansbeck

The hon. Member for Wansbeck discusses the collapse of Britishvolt, a gigafactory project in Cambois that promised to create thousands of jobs and transform the local economy. He highlights the Government's failure to support the project adequately and criticises their lack of an industrial strategy for automotive manufacturing. The speech details how the site was prepared over decades by local councils with planning permission and infrastructure, yet the company struggled due to insufficient private investment and a lack of government support beyond £100 million granted from the Automotive Transformation Fund. He emphasises the need for comprehensive government support to attract investors and secure high-quality manufacturing jobs in the region.

Other contributors (1)
  • Ian Levy Con Blyth Valley

    The hon. Member for Blyth Valley agrees that Britishvolt's collapse is regrettable but stresses the importance of milestones for public funding and expresses continued support for gigafactory development in the area.

Government Response

Nusrat Ghani

The Minister acknowledges Britishvolt's collapse and its impact on employees but emphasises that government support is conditional to protect taxpayers' money. She confirms full due diligence was conducted before offering funds with milestones, none of which were met by the company. The Government remain committed to battery production in the UK and aim for a gigafactory development at Cambois, considering it an ideal site with existing infrastructure and workforce. Despite Britishvolt's failure, efforts continue to attract new investors and support the local economy through various initiatives such as railway improvements and funding allocations from different government schemes.

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