Peugeot maker PSA told UK it takes pride in not closing plants - Greg Clark

LONDON (Reuters) - Business Secretary Greg Clark said on Monday that executives from Peugeot manufacturer PSA , which is in talks to take over General Motors' European brands, told him last week that PSA took pride in not shutting plants. There are mounting concerns in Britain, where GM operates a car plant and a van facility under the Vauxhall brand, that a takeover deal could prompt job losses and site closures. "One of the points the PSA executives made to me was that since the new management of PSA has been in place, they have taken some pride in having part of their strategy not to close plants," Clark told MPs on Monday. Clark also said he mentioned the importance of looking after current and former employees who are part of the Vauxhall pension scheme, which has a deficit of up to 1 billion pounds according to a source. (Reporting by Costas Pitas, editing by David Milliken)