LAST week, I had the pleasure of visiting Olympic Cars in Dudbridge, Stroud - a distributor of Peugeot cars - and Downton, one of the UK's leading independent distribution specialists.

Both firms are properly local, extremely successful and emblematic of the sort of businesses we need to power our economy.

The two visits were linked by the need to think innovatively about how we fuel our cars and large trucks.

At Olympic, I test drove the hybrid powered Peugeot 3008, the world¹s first diesel hybrid and the sort of car being promoted by the Coalition Government's low vehicle emissions strategy.

It was a pleasure to drive and I will be highlighting the technology during forthcoming meetings in the House of Commons.

At Downton, I heard all about the programme to develop gas and Liquid Petroleum Gas (LPG) powered trucks.

The fascinating point about these engines was that they both were more than an equal match to conventional truck engines.

Howard Tenens, another successful firm in Stroud, is also using gas to fuel trucks.

To ram home the importance of these technical developments in haulage, I used an opportunity in parliamentary questions to not only celebrate the ending of the additional three pence fuel duty but also to urge the Government to continue to support alternative fuels.

As I have frequently noted in the past, new technologies will enable our economy to both grow and meet the challenge of protecting the environment.

Again in parliamentary questions, I drew attention to the importance of supply chains for small and medium sized enterprises.

The Government has already introduced measures to support supply chains but it is also essential to maintain pressure on policy with particular focus on the huge number of potential contracts arising from investment by larger firms, especially manufacturers.

Last but not least, I have been working on the legislation to introduce the Green Investment Bank.

This will be of immense value to our firms seeking to push out the boundaries of invention and will be a positive influence on our local economy.

If you would like to discuss the issues raised above, please contact me on 01453 751572 or visit my website at www.neilcarmichael.co.uk