A GOVERNMENT minister has agreed to meet a North-East MP to discuss the production of new trains being moved to Austria, as concerns mount over Britain becoming "an unattractive place to do business" post-Brexit

Business Secretary Greg Clark has agreed to discuss the revelation that Siemens will manufacture two-thirds of the new 94 Deep Tube trains to serve the London Underground's Piccadilly line in Vienna with Sedgefield MP Phil Wilson.

Mr Wilson has already called for Transport for London and Mayor of London Sadiq Khan to review the decision, after a joint bid between Newton Aycliffe-based Hitachi and Bombardier lost out in the bidding process last year.

Almost 2,000 people have now signed a petition calling on Mr Khan to look into the deal.

Yesterday, Mr Clark reiterated his "disappointment" in Nissan's decision not to build new models of the X-Trail in Sunderland, but added it was "worth acknowledging that their commitment to the models that are there (in Sunderland) was announced".

His comments come after bosses at Stockton-based car parts factory Nifco said the Brexit uncertainty was making the UK "an unattractive place to do business".

Andy McDowall, sales & purchase general manager at Nifco, said: “All of this uncertainty is making the UK an unattractive place to do business, we are experiencing this on a day to day basis.

"The automotive industry is a highly competitive market where small gains make a difference, conversely small loses are the difference between securing and losing significant contracts.

"Currently additional duty, transactional complexities and supply chain challenges are unknown, companies are unsure about what is exactly is required and what is the process, in a global market this could rule the UK out of opportunities in the short term.

"Quite simply the threat of Brexit is not only creating an uneven playing field, it is also moving the goalposts – big business in Britain needs stability.”

A letter sent to Nissan by the government, published over the weekend, confirmed Nissan had been offered support up to £80m in return for the Japanese company to build its new models at its UK plant after Brexit.

Mr Clark has since confirmed that grants totalling £61m were offered.

Redcar MP Anna Turley said this was acknowledgement that the Government was "desperately having to throw money at these companies to stay in the UK because Brexit is threatening their long term stability".