This is a concerning time for the 3,500 workers at the Swindon plant and the many thousands of people employed by companies in Honda UK\u2019s supply chain. The Government will come together to provide support for those affected by this and other decisions.<\/p>
<\/p>
Despite this disappointing news, government believes that the case for continued investment in the UK is exceptionally strong, and that Honda and our strategic technology priorities are aligned. The UK has some of the best talent in the world and the Government is already investing in future car manufacturing, batteries and electrification infrastructure to ensure the UK retains its world-leading edge. The UK continues to be one of the most competitive locations in the world for automotive and other advanced manufacturing. We continue to support individual company investments in technology transition, and we are committed to maintaining and growing our domestic supply chain and highly skilled workforce.<\/p>
<\/p>
We recognise the challenges facing automotive businesses, including the prevailing market conditions in Europe, but strongly believe that companies in automotive and other sectors can continue to take advantage of the UK\u2019s business environment and the opportunities arising from accessing new and developing markets in the UK and overseas.<\/p>
<\/p>
We are determined to ensure that the UK continues to be one of the most competitive locations in the world for the automotive sector. BEIS Ministers and officials regularly engage with the automotive industry, including bilaterals with manufacturers, interactions via trade associations, and through the Department\u2019s participation in the Automotive Council.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/2616", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Lord Henley"} } , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Lord Henley"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2019-05-22", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2019-05-22T16:28:04.5Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "201"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2019-05-14", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Motor Vehicles: Manufacturing Industries"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "2"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25277", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Lords"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact on the automotive sector of recent announcements by Honda and other car manufacturers of expected job losses in the UK.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/1796", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Lord Taylor of Warwick"} } , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Lord Taylor of Warwick"} ], "uin" : "HL15744"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1126332", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Treasury"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1126332/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
Branch closures can be difficult for the communities affected and the Government pays close attention to this issue. However, the decision to close a branch is a commercial one for a firm, and Government does not intervene in those decisions.<\/p>
<\/p>
However, the Government is equally clear that as banking providers seek to respond to technological advances and changes in customer behaviour, they must also consider carefully the needs of those who still rely on their local bank branch. Since May 2017, the major high street banks have been signed up to the Access to Banking Standard, which commits them to work with customers and communities to minimise the impact of branch closures and put in place alternative banking services.<\/p>
<\/p>
The Government also supports the Post Office Banking Framework Agreement which enables 99% of the UK\u2019s personal and 95% of the UK\u2019s small business customers to withdraw money, deposit cash and cheques and check balances at any one of the Post Office\u2019s network of 11,500 branches.<\/p>
<\/p>
<\/p>
While banks do have to comply with competition law, there is no specific regulation that prevents banks from sharing branches or other premises where their strategies align. The Government therefore has no plans to update competition law on this basis. Government does not intervene in these commercial decisions, but will continue to encourage banks to think creatively about how they can ensure that consumers can access a wide range of banking services on a sustainable basis. For example, NatWest, Lloyds Bank and Barclays are trialling shared business banking hubs in 6 locations across the UK in the coming weeks.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/57", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Lord Young of Cookham"} } , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Lord Young of Cookham"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2019-05-22", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2019-05-22T16:37:43.297Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "14"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Treasury"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Treasury"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2019-05-13", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Banking Hubs: Competition"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "2"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25277", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Lords"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to update competition law to allow for shared banking hubs in areas where local bank branches have been closed.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/1796", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Lord Taylor of Warwick"} } , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Lord Taylor of Warwick"} ], "uin" : "HL15692"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1125862", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Exiting the European Union "} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1125862/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
The negotiated Withdrawal Agreement and Political Declaration outline the UK and EU\u2019s shared commitment to a free trade area for goods with no tariffs, quotas or rules of origin requirements. We are not seeking membership of the Single Market, or Customs Union, after we leave the EU, but a bold and ambitious economic partnership.<\/p>
The government has delivered on its commitment to provide appropriate analysis to Parliament with a robust, objective assessment of how exiting the EU may affect the economy of the UK, sectors, nations and regions in the long run. The analysis considers four analytical scenarios and compares them to today\u2019s arrangements: the UK position set out in the July 2018 White Paper, a hypothetical FTA, an EEA-type relationship and a no deal scenario.<\/p>
<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4336", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Lord Callanan"} } , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Lord Callanan"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2019-05-22", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2019-05-22T12:02:34.8Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "203"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Exiting the European Union "} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Exiting the European Union "} , "date" : {"_value" : "2019-05-09", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Brexit"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "2"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25277", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Lords"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the economic impact of a Brexit scenario where the UK stays in a customs union with the EU.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/1796", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Lord Taylor of Warwick"} } , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Lord Taylor of Warwick"} ], "uin" : "HL15652"} ], "itemsPerPage" : 10, "page" : 0, "startIndex" : 1, "totalResults" : 3, "type" : ["http://purl.org/linked-data/api/vocab#ListEndpoint", "http://purl.org/linked-data/api/vocab#Page"]} }