Gordon Brown pledges green investment

Prime Minister Gordon Brown has revealed that the Government will provide money to Britain's car industry to ensure that it is at the forefront of new environmentally friendly technology.

Speaking in a video message to the What Car? Car of the Year Awards, Brown said: 'I wish I could have been at the What Car? Awards. When I think of Britains motor industry, I think of a long history of talented individuals, of great ideas and of the best world-class innovations.

'I want Britain to be at the forefront of the revolution, driving the creation of thousands of new green jobs. As a result, the Government is providing substantial support to the industry to help research, develop and sell low-carbon vehicles.

'That will pave the way for what Im sure will prove to be another hundred years of great innovation and great success.'

Conservative Party leader David Cameron also provided a video message.

He said: 'What excites me is the massive progress that is going to be made in terms of green cars. Instead of it just being some niche with just a few cars aimed at a particular market segment, we are going to start seeing green cars of all different sorts. There are hybrids and plug-ins, cars running on different sorts of fuels, even hydrogen cars.

'We are going to see cars aimed at every segment of the market: people with big families, people that want racier cars, people that want a run around car. That is really exciting.'

Nick Clegg, Liberal Party leader, added: 'The car industry is about innovation, excellence, skills, change. It has changed enormously in the last 20 years. It's also about employment: it employs a lot of people.

'It is also an industry that has its roots in the past. It's a proud past, but it has also got its feet placed very firmly placed in the future.'