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Bridgend MP Madeleine Moon told PMQs that families in the area were "frightened" about the Ford plant's future.

Speaking at Prime Minister's Questions, Theresa May said: "Ford is an important investor here. It's been established here for over 100 years. We now account for around a third of Ford's global engine production and Bridgend continues to be an important part of that.

"We have had dialogue with Ford. We will continue to have a regular dialogue with Ford about the ways government can help to make sure this success continues." 

Mrs May was responding to Bridgend Labour MP Madeleine Moon, who said families in her constituency were "frightened" that Ford would not bring new contracts in the factory "with the uncertainty of Brexit ahead of them". 

She asked Mrs May to ensure her ministers to meet Ford and Unite the union about the threat to jobs at the Bridgend plant.

First Minister Carwyn Jones has told ´óÏó´«Ã½ Wales reports of more than 1,000 job losses at Ford's Bridgend engine plant are "a worse case scenario". 

Mr Jones said he had been in "constant contact" with Ford Europe and the Welsh Government would be working with the company to bring in new investment for the future. 

He said: "There is work to be done but I am confident that we can strengthen Ford Bridgend's position."

He added that the Bridgend management had "allowed work practices to develop that haven't been helpful" and that relations between the unions and managers were "not as good as they could be". 

He rejected calls for him to speak to Ford management in the US,saying: "That would be pointless - all the decisions are being made by Ford in Europe."

Ford chose Bridgend for its new engine plant in the summer of 1977 after competition from elsewhere in Europe, chiefly from Ireland, .

It needed an engine for its new model - codenamed Erika - which was designed to rescue the company from the doldrums, especially in Europe and America.

The car became the next generation Ford Escort, and would be built at Halewood on Merseyside and at Saarlouis in Germany from 1980.

The American company looked at sites in Briton Ferry, Shotton and was close to choosing Llantrisant before opting for development land in Bridgend.

A Wales Office spokesperson has said that Welsh Secretary Alun Cairns met Ford officials yesterday and "discussed various issues at the plant, including the natural life cycle of engines made there and ongoing plans for modernisation". 

He said he would "continue to positively engage with Ford at Bridgend".

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has raised the future of the Ford plant in Bridgend during prime minister's questions in the House of Commons.

Mr Corbyn told MPs he hopes Ford workers in Bridgend "get today the assurances they need about their job security and their futures". 

Both the Labour leader, who was wearing a daffodil in his lapel, and the prime minister wished everyone a happy St David's Day before returning to more traditional political exchanges.

´óÏó´«Ã½ Wales economic correspondent Sarah Dickins looks and how the company's strategy has changed in recent decades.

Image source, Google

• Current total employment: 1,800  
• Current products: 1.25 L 4-cyl, Fiesta 1.4 L 4-cyl, Fiesta, B-MAX 1.6 L Ti-VCT - Fiesta, B-MAX, Focus, C-MAX, Grand C-MAX, Mondeo 1.6 L EcoBoost, C-MAX, Grand C-MAX , Mondeo, S-MAX and Galaxy 
• Year opened: 1980 
• Site size in acres: 60 
• Plant size in square feet: 1,525,320