British Leyland (Hansard, 21 October 1986)

§ Mr. Dave Nellist (Coventry, South-East)

I beg to ask leave to move the Adjournment of the House, under Standing Order No. 10, for the purpose of discussing a specific and important matter that should have urgent consideration, namely, the major job losses in Coventry because of privatisation from British Leyland. Coventry Climax, a large firm in Coventry South-East, went into receivership three weeks ago, putting 900 jobs at risk. Two weeks ago the receivers, Price Waterhouse, axed 170 of those jobs, which added to the 200 jobs lost in July. The scale and impact of those redundancies—brown envelopes for the sack, white envelope for a reprieve — is something with which we are becoming depressingly familiar in Coventry, a city that has lost 62,000 manufacturing jobs in the past 10 years.

The specific need for the debate flows from the flood of promises made by successive Ministers in the Department of Trade and Industry to the House on the benefits of privatisation, particularly with regard to British Leyland, one of the largest employers in Coventry, which has suffered a haemorrhaging of jobs. Another part of British Leyland, Self-Changing Gears, which was privatised through the back door three months ago without any announcement in the House, cut 20 per cent. of its jobs two weeks ago. This is despite a letter from the managing director speaking about the company being backed by the resources of a major international company". The then Minister of State at the Department of Trade and Industry told me in a written answer that privatisation was in the best long-term interest of the company." — [Official Report, 14 May 1986; Vol 97, c. 481.] The matter is important because not only will the debate register the anger of working people in our city against the callous indifference of the Goernment, it will ask one or two searching questions about the dubious financial practices at Climax in recent years. Five years ago it was privatised by British Leyland and since then not 970 one penny has been paid to British Leyland. Is it a coincidence that, six weeks before the first £1.6 million was due for the purchase of that company, those who bought it packed up and ran, and handed the company over to a receiver?

Are we witnessing the break-up of Climax? Is it a coincidence that Price Waterhouse is sending out three memoranda of purchase for parts, spares, engines and trucks to prospective purchasers? Is it breaking up that firm and putting the 900 jobs at risk?

If you were to grant a debate, Mr. Speaker, that would give me the opportunity to put forward the only solution to the problems affecting Alvis, Jaguar, Self-Changing Gears and Climax since their privatisation. That solution is the re-nationalisation of those firms, the restoration of manning levels and the offer of jobs to the redundant workers and those who have been sacked.

I urge you, Mr. Speaker, to respect the feelings and the wishes of the families in Coventry who have lost their jobs in the past three months because of the Government, and at least grant us a debate.