Oral question asked in the House of Commons, by Vera Baird (Labour). It was answered on Thursday, 23 March 2006 on behalf of the Department of Trade and Industry.

Manufacturing

Question: The Tees valley economy is more dependent than most on manufacturing and processing. The new chair of our local chamber of commerce regards our economy as robust, and up to 10 investments are proposed in manufacturing and processing in my sub-region. However, the short-term problem, which faces the chemical manufacturing industry in particular, remains high energy prices; indeed, one plant in my constituency, at Wilton, has had to close temporarily due to that problem. Has my right hon. Friend any advice for that important industry about better prospects in the near future?

Answer: I agree about the importance of the sector, and it is good to hear optimism from parts of the industry in my hon. and learned Friend's region, which very much needs the strengths of our modern, manufacturing industry. Energy prices are certainly an issue for many parts of our industry, including, as my hon. and learned Friend says, the chemical sector. That is why it is such a high priority for the Government to tackle both short and long-term energy needs and why the energy review was set up. The situation is hitting industries in other parts of Europe, too, so the best advice I can give is, ““Hold your nerve.””

Secondary information