Car industry help to be unveiled

[KREBB]

Car industry help to be unveiled
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/7853149.stm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Business Secretary Lord Mandelson is to outline a package of government support for the UK car industry in a statement at 1505 GMT to the House of Lords.

Ministers have faced calls to bail-out car makers whose sales have slumped as consumer credit has dried up.

Lord Mandelson is expected to unveil a scheme aimed at increasing the availability of loans to car buyers.

He could also offer cash to train car workers, help for car parts suppliers and grants for "green" research.

Under the government's plan, it is thought loans could be provided to the finance arms of the big car makers but critics say this will mainly benefit foreign firms, who supply 80% of Britain's cars.

[wolfie citizen smith]

This seems weird, Govenment wants us to use public transport and bikes and in the next breath encourage us to buy motor vehicles :mfo you idiot

[TrueBlueTerrier]

Yes I agree with wolfie - what's the betting that there is nothing in the announcement with regard to alternative technologies and renewable energy. More Short Term Policies which will be paying for Long Term.

If I know that Oil Production has peaked, in that from now till it runs out (even the optimists say we will run out in 40 years )we will produce less and less, and it will be more and more expensive, why isn't the government taking steps now.

[DGP1]

The government help for the car industry is rumoured to be extra money given to the companies who supply the financing, so, they are just giving more money to the banks who got us in this situation in the first place.
It really makes you wonder why they are so insistant on selling us off to the lowest bidder.

[ar26]

Yes I agree with wolfie - what's the betting that there is nothing in the announcement with regard to alternative technologies and renewable energy. More Short Term Policies which will be paying for Long Term.

If I know that Oil Production has peaked, in that from now till it runs out (even the optimists say we will run out in 40 years )we will produce less and less, and it will be more and more expensive, why isn't the government taking steps now.

If the government want to help people buy cars why not lend them the money directly perhaps through the post office. It's been mentioned on here before about having a peoples bank at the post office surely this would be the ideal time to start it. Rather than through billions at the banks who want to sit on it for when there next set of results are due, why not lend this money directly to the people who want to buy houses and cars.

Also the governments not going to do much re alternative fuels, oil is a resource and until it's completley used up why stop the mega rich getting richer from it. As it runs out you're spot on oil will become very very expensive and when it runs out they'll be the next thing waiting in the wings for us to be fleeced for. You've all heard the rumours re the big oil companies buy the patents to alternatives to the combustion engine, why quite simple they have a few more decades to go where they can make huge profits. My wife works for a car dealer, last weekend they proposed 32 people for car finance, 31 were declined, reason financial institutons don't want to lend.

[TeeferTiger]

It won't matter them bailing out the car industry because people still aren't buying the cars.

They should do what they're doing in Germany. Giving the public money when they hand in cars over 10 years old to use as deposits on new ones.

[DGP1]

It won't matter them bailing out the car industry because people still aren't buying the cars.

They should do what they're doing in Germany. Giving the public money when they hand in cars over 10 years old to use as deposits on new ones.

The thing about that is that Germany has a large car industry but the UK has nothing and that any money would go into foreign companies (that was the excuse the government was giving for not doing it).

Please feel free to draw your own conclusions about giving public money to foreign compaines.

[heapsy]

He's a bit of a wolf in sheeps clothing is our Mandy. He'll gladly help out the car industry, but on the other hand he just can't resist stabbing the postal workers and the industry in general straight between the shoulder blades.

[Big Daz]

Well I still dont have the funds to buy a nice new car with low emissions etc. Looks like i will be sticking to the bus/train/mountain bike and never leaving the town boundaries.

Fat lot of good this bail out is to me

[DGP1]

Well I still dont have the funds to buy a nice new car with low emissions etc. Looks like i will be sticking to the bus/train/mountain bike and never leaving the town boundaries.

Fat lot of good this bail out is to me

That aint a problem cause Goverment are desperate for us all to owe cash all over the place, but beware if you take out an unsecured loan as Goverment have just passed a law making it far easier for loan firms to reposess your house against unsecured loans. The bloody mind boggles

Probably got passed by Lord Ocean Finance

[ruralpostie]

TBH I think its just a futile gesture and ANOTHER waste of taxpayers money trying to prop up these failing businesses. When the world finally emerges from recession WE will still be IN IT, trying to pay back all this wasted bloody money and financial guarantees. We NEED to get this "out of control" prime minister out of office before UK plc goes bust , them who's gonna bail us out!!!!

[wolfie citizen smith]

Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin must be pissing his pants at the moment

[pickaname]

Do away with banks and have one central nationalised bank. Easy peasy.