Will the Minister provide details of the agenda and attendance at meetings of the Ford Working Group?
In the last two years there have been 8 Ministerial meetings or discussions with senior Ford executives at Bridgend plant, UK or European management levels. My officials are also in regular contact with the Wales Automotive Forum as well as Ford directly, to discuss automotive developments, including at Ford.
|
DATE |
Venue |
Minister |
Ford Attendees |
|
|
|
|
|
|
July 2017 |
Cologne |
Cabinet Secretary Economy & Infrastructure (CSEI) |
Linda Cash - ,VP Manufacture Ford Europe Andrew McCall - VP Govt.& Community Relations Ford Europe |
|
Oct. 2017 |
Bridgend |
CSEI |
Ian Pearson - Plant Manager |
|
Feb. 2018 |
Bridgend |
First Minister (FM) |
Ian Pearson - Plant Manager |
|
June 2018 |
Washington |
FM |
Sarah Cartnell – Manager, International Govt. Relations |
|
Nov. 2018 |
Bridgend |
FM |
Wallace Yearwood - Plant Manager |
|
Feb. 2019 |
Cardiff |
FM |
Graham Hoare - Chair Ford of Britain Madeleine Hallward - Govt. Affairs Director Kieran Cahill - Head of Manufacturing |
|
April 2019 |
Tel. call |
Minister for Economy & Transport |
Graham Hoare - Chair Ford of Britain Madeleine Hallward - Govt. Affairs Director Kieran Cahill - Head of Manufacturing |
|
June 2019 |
Tel. call |
FM |
Joe Hinrichs - President, Automotive |
I informed you previously (WAQ78373), that the Ford Working Group was established in October 2017, chaired by the Welsh Government and comprised of representatives from Ford Europe, Ford UK, the Office of the Secretary of State for Wales, the UK Government’s Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, the Welsh Automotive Forum and Unite the Union.
Along with the Secretary of State for Wales, I co-sponsor the current Ford Taskforce which is chaired by Professor Richard Parry-Jones CBE. Membership is comprised of representatives from Ford, the National Assembly for Wales, Welsh Government, the Office of the Secretary of State for Wales, BEIS, DIT, Bridgend County Borough Council, Cardiff Capital Region, the Department for Work and Pensions, Public Health Wales, Trade Unions, the Welsh Automotive Forum and Industry Wales. The Taskforce may call upon other organisations to assist in its work as required.
I have also previously informed you of the dates of the 11 meetings of the former Ford Working Group and the Terms of Reference under which the Group operated (WAQ78373 & 78374). Agenda and attendance details will be provided to you separately.
Graham Hoare, Chair of Ford of Britain, informed me on 6 June that the company intended to begin a consultation period to close its Bridgend Engine Plant in September 2020. I released this information via a Written Statement on the same day.