Mandelson heads speakers at international automotive summit

Nov 24 2009 by Ben Hurst, Birmingham Mail

BUSINESS Secretary Lord Mandelson will be among speakers in London today at the first international automotive summit.

Organised by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), the summit in Westminster will also feature a speech by Ravi Kant, vice-chairman of Indian company Tata Motors which owns Jaguar Land Rover.

Other speakers include Shadow business minister Mark Prisk and SMMT chief executive Paul Everitt.

The summit comes at a time when the UK motor industry is beginning to recover from the worst ravages of the recession.

The Government’s “cash for bangers” car scrappage scheme has done much to revive the industry.

But ministers have made it clear that there will be no further extension once the Government’s money for the scheme, totalling £400 million, runs out in around February 2010.

A poll by Yahoo! UK showed that although 50 per cent of consumers reckoned environmental factors were important when buying a car, only 39 per cent fully understood green automobile technology.