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[March 2007]
Show of Strength from Engineering Sector as 200 Lobby in London
On 5 March 2007 the UK engineering sector put on a show of strength as 200 people turned up at the House of Lords to show the government and parliamentarians that there is still a vibrant engineering sector in the UK. 25 MPs plus 3 peers attended the event and Minister for Industry Margaret Hodge MP was the guest of honour.In a substantial speech, Mrs Hodge praised the work of the Manufacturing Technologies Association (MTA) and the Engineering & Machinery Alliance
(EAMA) saying that the event was not only a great lobbying event but also a great networking opportunity. She went on to say: "You are absolutely vital to us but you are also vital to each other".MTA President Geoff Lloyd and EAMA Chairman Graham Hayes took the opportunity to remind the Minister and other MPs of the importance of manufacturing to the UK economy and the crucial need for the right skills and investment to keep Britain an internationally competitive country.
Geoff Lloyd commented: "The United Kingdom lags behind its competitors in productivity and this is not only down to our poor investment in high-tech equipment but also our poor training record. We have a dire situation in science teaching within our education system. We are not educating our young people sufficiently to be champions of our country's future productive needs".
www.mta.org.uk
ENDS