Prime minister David Cameron has confirmed Nissan's car plant in Sunderland will still get a £20 million grant promised by the Labour government.
There had been fears the money, which had been promised as part of an effort to secure a contract for the Nissan Leaf to be built in Sunderland, could be pulled as part of a review into public spending.
"That money will be going ahead, that investment will be going in," Conservative leader Cameron told parliament.
Last week, Cameron had said he wanted electric cars to be built in Britain but wouldn't confirm if the Nissan grant would stand.
Nissan Leaf production will begin in Sunderland in 2013.
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Re: Cameron confirms Nissan grant
Not to mention the £270m of loan guarantees our Govt has just granted to General Motors Europe to secure the future of Vauxhall plants in the UK, against the background of the German Govt telling GM to bugger right off when they similarly asked for dosh for their German factories. Who's doing our negotiating?
Re: Cameron confirms Nissan grant
I take on board Reasonable's earlier point but I still can't get away from the general suspicion that the UK Govt is being mugged/suckered by the car industry. That electric MINI project was another example IMO.
Re: Cameron confirms Nissan grant
Whats even worse, and if the reporting at the time was accurate, Nissan planned to build the Leaf in the UK (and co-install charging points) if it was selected as the car for the London Olympics, instead we gave it to BMW.
Go figure