§ Mr. LoughtonTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what discussions he has held with the West Midlands Development Agency on the future of the Longbridge Rover plant. [123477]
§ Ms Beverley HughesDiscussions on the future of the Longbridge Rover plant have been undertaken by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry. My right hon. Friend established a Task Force to assess the impact of Rover restructuring on the West Midlands economy. He appointed Alex Stephenson, the Chairman of Advantage West Midlands, as Chairman of the Task Force, and received an interim report in April. My right hon. Friend met with the Task Force on two occasions, and is due to meet with them before they submit their final report in June. The Government Office for the West Midlands is involved in working with the Task Force, and helping to co-ordinate effort across a number of Government Departments.
§ Mr. LoughtonTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what part was played by West Midlands RDA in connection with the recent negotiations over the Longbridge Rover plant. [123478]
§ Ms Beverley HughesNegotiations for the sale of the Rover Group were a matter for the owners, BMW, and prospective bidders. The West Midlands RDA, Advantage West Midlands, was not involved in those negotiations. 437W However, Advantage West Midlands supported the Rover Task Force established by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry. Representatives of AWM, on behalf of the Task Force, were involved in discussions with BMW and the bidders about their proposals, in order to understand the likely impact on the regional economy.