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MG Rover

: I feel that I am eating into other people's time—[Hon. Members: ““You certainly are.””] I shall simply say that I would be grateful if the Minister clarified the money position as well. What of the future? The hon. Member for Birmingham, Northfield made great play of saying that there was no future other than Phoenix Venture Holdings and the activities of the directors. However, had Alchemy taken over back in 2000, there would have been a £50,000-plus pay-off for the workers. Some 2,000 people would have been employed in making MG sports cars, and suppliers would have produced component parts for MG sports cars made at Longbridge. It is pretty sad that because we now have a fire sale, as opposed to an organised sell-off of the car plant and its land, we may well not see the resurrection of car making—not even under the very successful MG sports car brand—on the site at all. That is particularly bitter-sweet, because this year is the original Austin works' 100th anniversary, which will be celebrated in Cofton park in my constituency. The company was the pinnacle of British engineering, innovation and design over the past 100 years, and it is very sad that this particular year should see its demise. Because this is effectively a fire sale, it will be particularly difficult to resurrect the company. Nevertheless, we hope that that will be the case, and that we will have something more to celebrate by 8 July, with that niche player coming back into the market.