§ 29. Mr. FabricantTo ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer to what economic factors he attributes the performance of the British car manufacturing industry; and what comparison he has made with the performance of similar manufacturers elsewhere in Europe.
§ Mr. PortilloCar production in the United Kingdom rose by 6½ per cent. in 1993 despite depressed car markets in continental Europe, the fastest growth in any calendar year since 1988. By contrast car production has fallen very sharply in France, Germany and Italy. The United Kingdom car industry's performance has benefited from the Government's policies of low inflation and sound public finances, and by its own efforts to control costs.