12:50pm Tuesday 16th March 2010
© Press Association 2011
Executives from Cadbury's and its new American owner have come under fire from angry MPs amid uncertainty about the chocolate-maker's future in the UK.
Marc Firestone, executive vice-president of US food giant Kraft, and Cadbury's president Trevor Bond were repeatedly challenged about their long-term commitment to Bournville as they appeared before the Commons Business Select Committee.
They insisted that they intended to keep production in Britain but stopped short of any specific long-term commitments.
Asked exactly how many years Kraft planned to maintain production at the Birmingham base, Mr Firestone said: "Bournville remains at the heart of the Cadbury business and we intend to maintain it, we intend to invest in it, we intend to ensure that it remains competitive."
Mr Bond also said that the company needed to keep its UK operations "competitive"
Asked specifically whether Cadbury's Dairy Milk would continue to be produced in the UK, he said: "Yes."
Pressed as to how long for, he added: "For as long as our consumers are delighted by the product and the taste that we produce."
Fellow committee member Lindsay Hoyle, a Labour MP, said Kraft had made the same promises to Terry's of York before moving production of the Chocolate Orange to Poland.
He accused Kraft of doing "exactly the same" to York as the Vikings, saying: "They pillaged and asset-stripped that company."
Thousands of British workers have been left fearing for their jobs after Kraft's multi-billion pound takeover, especially as the American firm changed its mind about keeping open the Somerdale factory near Bath. Kraft had said it would keep the plant open, but later changed its mind, saying it would close after all, with the loss of 400 jobs.
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