Orders of the Day — Motor Industry

Part of the debate – in the House of Commons at 12:00 am on 11 February 1970.

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Photo of Mr Keith Speed Mr Keith Speed , Meriden 12:00, 11 February 1970

That may have been so, but as my constituency is growing at a rate of 20,000 new electors every year I suspect that I have overtaken the hon. Member.

There are the twin problems of production and profitability and there are the problems of industrial relations. I am interested to see how hon. Members opposite have slightly changed their tune. Whenever we question the Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity, we are told how terrible it is that millions of days are lost through sickness and how the trivial number of strikes is of no consequence. Yet could any hon. Member tell me of any motor factory which has been closed because of sickness? Such is the interdependence and inter-relationship of this industry that a small number of people can come out on strike, official or unofficial, and cause many thousands of workpeople to be laid off.

I agree that this is not one-sided. Certainly management has a responsibility. I live in Coventry, and in some of my evening papers, like the Coventry Telegraph and the Birmingham Evening Mail, I see advertisements instructing motor workers to go back to work, after a stoppage perhaps, some of which are couched in terms more reminiscent of the barrack room or barrack square than of dealings with civilised people. There is undoubtedly a problem of communication within the industry. Nevertheless, this industry, and the Government, too, I believe, must be resolved not to run away from the problem. The Government ran away last June. The next Conservative Government will not run away from the problem. The industry is in a crisis. Let us make no mistake about that. It is no good talking about consultations and concord acts and so on. What the industry needs is action, and action now.

It is a valid criticism that a few years back the British motor industry did seem to be more production oriented than market oriented. This is a technical way, perhaps, of voicing many of the criticisms which have been made about the industry this afternoon. I do not believe that it is a valid criticism today. Our major companies have now got marketing right and can compete with any motor industry in any part of the world if given the same conditions on which to compete as are given to their main competitors.

What worries me very much is that since 1964 we have been overtaken by France, Italy and Japan in the motor car manufacturers' league table. We were pretty well equal in 1964 with Germany, but now Germany has shot away ahead, with America leading the world. These are facts which hon. Members know, no matter what their political views.

I believe that our marketing people in the motor industry can take on competition. They can tackle Mercedes, Volkswagen, B.M.W., Fiat, Renault, Toyota, Honda—whoever it may be—but not if they have one arm tied behind the back by the Government with artificial restraints on the home market.