1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144
145
146
147
148
149
150
151
152
153
154
155
156
157
158
159
160
161
162
163
164
165
166
167
168
169
170
171
172
173
174
175
176
177
178
179
180
181
182
183
184
185
186
187
188
189
190
191
192
193
194
195
196
197
198
199
200
201
202
203
204
205
206
207
208 
Keep up standards
Page 4
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
THE BRITISH vehicle manufacturing industry is capable of supplying operators with any known configuration of commercial vehicle chassis either off the peg or tailor made. CM's specification tables published in this issue are ample proof of that claim.
Nevertheless official figures released by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders show that the importers' share of the British market is increasing. The 25 per cent they now hold is not, however, necessarily a loss to British industry. It should be seen rather as that part which Britain does not have the capacity to produce.
Most British manufacturers have full order books, and there is no hint of large scale redundancies or a waiting list of customers. Were we to stop exporting vehicles then the home demand could almost certainly be met by British suppliers.
As the economic situation in Europe begins to recover, so will demand for vehicles. The importers' share of the UK market could well increase. There is no spare production capacity in our vehicle factories and provided we sell all we make we should be pleased. Only a massive investment in new plant would make a dramatic change in capacity. Such an investment would be difficult to justify.
We must nevertheless take precautions to ensure that the UK does not become a market for sub-standard, cheap products which would attract operators on price alone.
Attl ;1111
The activities of local government and public service departments are financed by the community. Do we get value for money or could our public services be better operated?
Next week in CM we will be looking at some of these services. The fire service, refuse collection. British local authority hiring policy and school buses.
We are also concerned about energy conservation and have organised a conference on the subject at Goodwood House, Sussex, on Thursday next. The papers will be presented to an invited audience by speakers from USA, Germany, Sweden and the UK, and will be reported in CM next Friday.
Also in CM next Friday are our regular series Driving for Profit. Topic and of course your letters. Our recently installed 24-hour news service ensures readers of up-to-the-minute news stories from throughout Europe. For details of this service see this page.