As Chief Executive Dave Dalton said, alongside other important UK industries, glass manufacturing is an important pillar of the UK economy. It provides food and drinks containers, glazing for housing, offices, and motor vehicles, and glass fibre for wind-turbines and electronic circuitry. These are all materials that society is built upon, as well as important elements of hi-tech sectors like aerospace, biomedical and defence.
Over 6000 jobs directly in the manufacture of glass and more than 100,000 more in the supply chain are dependent on a thriving glass manufacturing sector, and uncertainty over investment is a threat the Government needs to address quickly.
Many major plants have headquarters in the EU or elsewhere in the world and stability is key to group investment being made in the UK. Uncertainty threatens that stability and so starves investment.
British Glass maintains good relationships in Westminster and Whitehall and continues to monitor the situation, advising Government and British Glass members of the evolving situation.
Parliament must now commit to work in these extremely challenging times to ensure the maintenance and growth of the UK ’s foundation industries, including glass, to foster a higher and more visible degree of certainty and so stimulate overseas investment in UK manufacturing.