§ Mr. Neil Hamilton (Tatton)Mr. Speaker, I beg leave to present a petition on behalf of several thousand electors of the constituencies of Tatton and Eddisbury.
§
The petition shows that
it is the policy of Her Majesty's Government to secure the reduction and eventual elimination of lead in petrol; and that this policy has led directly to the closure of the Associated octel plant at Northwich in Cheshire, causing the loss of 250 jobs; and that those employees to be made redundant are statutorily entitled only to the limited benefits available under the Employment Protection (Consolidation) Act 1978; and that such benefits are a mere fraction of those available under special Government schemes for redundant mineworkers, steel workers, dockers and others working in industries which, unlike Associated Octel, have been an extensive drain on the taxpayers for many years.
The petition prays
that your Honourable House will express support for legislation which will allow the same generous redundancy benefits for Associated Octel workers as are provided under the Redundant Mineworkers' Payments Scheme.
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The petition concludes:
And your petitioners, as in duty bound, will ever pray, etc.
To lie upon the Table.