Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Electric Vehicles: Chinese Share of Market

Thursday 5 September 2024 · 3 questions

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

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 0 Partly answered 2 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Gregory Stafford asked the Minister about steps being taken to mitigate risks from China's growing share in the electric vehicle market.
  • Gregory Stafford questioned the Department's strategy on challenging China's monopoly on critical minerals, including lithium.
  • Greg Smith criticized the Government for a discrepancy between pre-election promises and post-election actions regarding Chinese electric vehicles.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Gregory Stafford Con Farnham and Bordon
Business & Trade
Context

The MP is concerned about the growing influence of China in the electric vehicle (EV) industry, which poses both risks and opportunities for the UK. He seeks details on government strategies.

Question

What steps his Department is taking with Cabinet colleagues to mitigate the potential risks posed by the Chinese share of the electric vehicle market.

Answer from Sarah Jones

China's role in the automotive industry is growing, and that invites risks and opportunities. We are working closely with other Government Departments, as the hon. Gentleman would expect, to analyse how this impacts the UK. Where we need to act, we will do so, and any action taken on Chinese electric vehicles has to be the right one, including for our UK industry.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Specific actions or plans not provided; instead focused on general analysis and future readiness.

How: Working Closely With Other Government Departments, Any Action Taken Will Be Right

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Q2 Gregory Stafford Con Farnham and Bordon
Foreign Affairs Business & Trade
Context

The MP is concerned about the use of forced labour in extracting lithium by Chinese entities, impacting UK supply chains for EVs. He seeks details on government strategies to challenge this.

Question

I thank the Minister for her response, but could she outline the Department's wider strategy on challenging China's global monopoly on critical minerals, including lithium, much of which is extracted by forced labour?

Answer from Sarah Jones

I thank the hon. Gentleman for his supplementary question. As I said, we are working closely with our colleagues across Government to make sure we have the right intelligence and can make the right decisions where we need to act. He will be aware that other countries are introducing tariffs and taking a range of measures. Our sectors are very different from those of other countries—we are not the same as the US or the EU—and we need to respond in the right way when it comes to electric vehicles. For example, 80% of the vehicles we manufacture in the UK are exported, so our challenges are different.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Specific strategy not provided; instead focused on differences with other countries and export figures for EVs.

How: Working Closely With Colleagues Across Government, Different Sectors Compared To Other Countries

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Q3 Greg Smith Con Mid Buckinghamshire
Brexit Business & Trade
Context

The MP is critical of the government's response to China's growing influence in the electric vehicle market, noting inconsistencies between pre-election promises and post-election actions. He challenges the UK's lack of decisive action compared to other nations.

Question

What we have this morning is another chapter in the growing theme of what the Government said before the election and what they are doing after the election being entirely different things. The Chancellor of the Exchequer talked in May about reliance on Chinese EVs undercutting British workers and leaving us exposed, but by July she was talking about the benefits of trade with China. What we have seen in this Chamber this morning is that, while the rest of the world—the United States, Canada, the European Union—is acting on Chinese dominance in the EV market, the United Kingdom Government continue to dither. What is it to be: clear action on behalf of the UK automotive sector, or continued dither and failing to make a decision?

Answer from Sarah Jones

I do not know whether the hon. Gentleman is aware that until recently his party was in government, and inward investment from China grew over four times since 2014, so I will take no lessons from him on these issues. The automotive industry, which I work with closely and meet regularly, has not asked for what he suggested—

Not addressed: Specific action or decision regarding China's dominance in the EV market.

How: Taking No Lessons From Him On These Issues

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