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Car Manufacturing

I hope that the hon. Gentleman will forgive me, but I will not give way, because time is short. Engineering should be given much higher status in this country. We should also be concerned about the loss of specialist departments. We have lost 31 physics departments and five maths departments. If we want to attract high-technology investors to this country, we will have to do more to encourage young people to study science and engineering so that companies know that they can come here and find people with the skills that they need. We clearly face global competition, and global companies must take difficult decisions, but I say to the hon. Member for Chorley that employment protection is not the way forward. It might force some people to stay who might have chosen to do other things, but it will also drive away the new investment that we need. Finally, as to green issues, the motor industry is leading change. It is not the laggard that it is often portrayed as. New materials are being used, such as carbon to reduce vehicle weight; brilliant design improves motor cars' aerodynamics and fuel efficiency; and we have some of the world's best engineering minds examining how to develop clean diesel, biofuels and hydrogen-powered cars. The industry sees the environmental challenges clearly, and comes up with unbelievably brilliant and sophisticated solutions. The hon. Members for Birmingham, Northfield (Richard Burden) and for Dagenham rightly referred to the issue that faces some of our niche manufacturers in relation to carbon targets. I hope that the Minister will reassure us that he is fighting Britain's corner on that. This debate was well worth having, because it has given us all the opportunity to pay tribute to a great British success story. 10.50 pm