§ 1. Mr. Maddenasked the Secretary of State for Industry what progress has been made in discussions between his Department and representatives of Sona Consultants Ltd. abut re-equipment of their Moderna plant in West Yorkshire; and if he will make a statement.
§ The Under-Secretary of State for Industry (Mr. Bob Cryer)Officials from my Department have been in frequent contact with Sona Consultants during the past two months. The company has explained the possibilities which are being explored for various combinations of products to continue to be manufactured at the Moderna plant. Re-equipment of the plant will depend to some extent on the product 2 range which is linked to current negotiations with potential custmers, including export customers, and I understand that Sona Consultants have written to my hon. Friend on 25th January with a further declaration that they intend to reorganise, re-equip and re-establish manufacturing.
§ Mr. MaddenWhat form of production is proposed by the new owners of the firm? Does the Minister agree with the workers at Moderna that there are reasonable grounds for optimism about the export potential of British-made blankets and that there is, therefore, no reason why the firm should be closed for a period of up to one year and why 332 jobs should be scrapped, particularly in an area with little alternative employment?
§ Mr. CryerIt is difficult for us to make a judgment about the sort of production facilities that Sona Consultants intend to embark upon, since my Department has not received an application from them. As my hon. Friend knows, when the subject was raised in a recent Adjournment debate the Government made it clear that we were anxious to receive such an application, because we should then be able to make a better judgment.