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The current Micra model |
British Trade and Industry Secretary Stephen Byers will meet Nissan executives to ensure that the new Micra model is made in the UK, according to the Times.
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Mr Byers is expected to stress in the talks – which follow personal pressure by Prime Minister Blair on Renault-controlled Nissan – the importance of producing the new Micra in the UK as 2000 north-eastern jobs and a further several thousand posts within the supply chain and the local economy are at stake.
The talks follow approval of a £40 million European Union aid package for the Sunderland plant to back a £203 million programme which will enable the factory – Europe’s most productive – to build the car.
Nissan is reported to have said, however, that the aid package will not be the deciding factor for building the new Micra in the UK. The car maker has warned the Government that the country’s isolation from the euro is a major problem, stressing that the strong pound is a major factor along with currency volatility.
The managing director of the Sunderland plant, John Cushnaghan, has introduced a set of measures to make the site as productive as possible, including plans for a seven-day, round-the-clock operation, suppliers invoicing in euros and sourcing more components from Europe.
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By GlobalDataNissan is expected to announce its decision within the next two weeks.
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