The MIA has been asked to give oral evidence to the House of Commons Business, Innovation and Skills Select Committee in response to its enquiry into the Motorsport and Aerospace Industries. This oral evidence session will take place on 15th December.
The Select Committee recently visited Silverstone and met with a wide cross-section of the industry including owners and managers of SMEs and members of the Brawn GP F1 Team. Following this visit, the committee issued the following statement:
"Do the Grand Prix Deal" Says Commons Committee
The British Grand Prix is vital to the future well-being of the British Motor Sport Industry and it would be a massively damaging blow if it were to disappear.
This was the overriding message given to the House of Commons Business, Innovation and Skills Committee when it made an evidence gathering visit to Northamptonshire yesterday, Monday 23 November. The Committee met with a wide cross section of the industry including; owners and managers of SME's, Members of Brawn F1 team, Silverstone's management and a senior professor from the Cranfield University's School of Applied Sciences.
Committee chairman, Peter Luff MP said:
"We were overwhelmed by the intensity of opinion, confirming the need to keep the Grand Prix at Silverstone.
British motor sport without the Grand Prix could wither on the wine and that would be just as damaging to Formula One as it would be to the industry.
I therefore call on Bernie Ecclestone, Damon Hill and Richard Phillips to recognise their mutual interest, stand up from Britain and finalise a deal which is good for Silverstone, for Formula One, for the wider motor sport industry and for our nation."
The visit to Silverstone and Brackley was part of a major inquiry by the committee into the Motor sport and aerospace sectors; further oral evidence will be taken on 15 December and 26 January with the final report expected in February. This statement is being issued ahead of that final report because of the imminence of the decision on the British Grand Prix.
