Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Industrial Strategy

Thursday 12 June 2025 · 2 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

  • British bus manufacturer Alexander Dennis is consolidating UK operations to its Scarborough facility, putting 400 Falkirk jobs at risk.
  • The Minister acknowledges the challenging situation for Alexander Dennis workers and families, and has engaged with ADL executives and relevant departments.
  • Kenneth Stevenson asked for a meeting with the Secretary of State and Minister to discuss Lanarkshire's role in the modern industrial strategy.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Alison Hume Lab Scarborough and Whitby
Employment Business & Trade
Context

Alexander Dennis announced consolidating its operations in Scarborough, placing 400 jobs at risk in Falkirk. The company warns about competitive imbalance with Chinese bus manufacturers.

Question

British bus manufacturer Alexander Dennis announced yesterday that it is consolidating its operations in the UK to its Scarborough facility, placing 400 jobs in Falkirk at risk. The company is warning about competitive imbalance, the increasing market share of Chinese bus manufacturers and an absence of incentives for British-built vehicles. How are the Government planning to support British bus manufacturers as part of our industrial strategy?

Answer from The Minister for Industry (Sarah Jones)

This is a challenging and difficult time for the workers and their families at Alexander Dennis, as well as for the local area. As Members would expect, I have engaged extensively with ADL’s senior executives alongside the Secretary of State for Scotland, the Department for Transport and the First Minister of Scotland to discuss what we can do to support. We wrote jointly to the company, offering to support it in any way we can. There are many issues that we tried to talk through with its representatives.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Specific plan or commitment for supporting British bus manufacturers within the industrial strategy was not provided

How: Engaged Extensively, Offering Support

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Q2 Kenneth Stevenson Lab Airdrie and Shotts
Business & Trade
Context

Lanarkshire is home to many industrial towns and villages, important for any modern industrial strategy.

Question

Do the Secretary of State and the Minister agree that the industrial towns and villages that make up Lanarkshire must be central to any modern industrial strategy? Will they meet me, potentially in Airdrie and Shotts, to hear more about the excellent skills and potential that exist throughout the constituency that could undoubtedly contribute to their and this Government’s ambitious work?

Answer from The Minister for Industry (Sarah Jones)

Of course, our industrial strategy will speak to the whole country about the way that we are supporting businesses to grow and thrive. We have identified eight growth-driving sectors as the arrowheads of growth, but there are also policies that we believe will lift the whole country. I would be delighted to meet my hon. Friend. I congratulate him on the support that the local community showed in the recent Hamilton by-election, and look forward to talking to him further.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Meeting request was not explicitly confirmed within the context of the industrial strategy discussion

How: Delighted To Meet, Congratulates

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