Euro-MP urges Commission to act quickly to approve Rover payment

5.30.00pm UTC (GMT +0000) Tue 12th Apr 2005

West Midlands Euro-MP Liz Lynne has today written to the European Competition Commissioner Neelie Kroes, to ask her to act quickly to approve the £6.5m payment to MG Rover from the UK Government.

The Liberal Democrat MEP who was involved in the campaign to save Rover when it was abandoned by BMW 5 years ago, also raised the issue with Trade Commissioner Peter Mandelson when Liberal Democrat MEPs met with him this afternoon.

Speaking following the meeting Liz said:

"The Commission has to act quickly so that Rover workers know if they will be paid or not. I have therefore asked Commissioner Kroes, to look at the request by the UK Government as a matter of urgency.

"There are rules drawn up by the Commission to allow State Aid for rescuing and restructuring firms in difficulty. Since the company would certainly go out of business without it, I believe it does satisfy those rules.

"Although this does not fall in to the competency of Peter Mandelson, I asked him to put pressure on Commissioner Kroes to act quickly on this issue. Mr Mandelson indicated that he did not think the Commission would have a problem with the loan."

ENDS