Prescot Industries Limited (Closure) (Hansard, 23 January 1984)

§ Mr. Robert Kilroy-Silk (Knowsley, North)

I beg to ask leave to move the Adjournment of the House, under Standing Order No. 10, for the purpose of discussing a specific and important matter that should have urgent consideration, namely, the closure of BICC Prescot Industries Limited and the loss of 350 jobs in Prescot and Merseyside. Clearly, this matter is specific because a company is closing one plant, Prescot Industries Ltd, and making redundancies at another, Reliance Cords and Cables Ltd, in my constituency. It is important at any time when jobs are lost both to those who lose them and to future generations who lose job opportunities. It is especially important because my constituency already holds the record for the third highest level of unemployment. There is already 40 per cent. unemployment throughout the borough, 85 per cent. of this year's school leavers are still unemployed or on temporary employment schemes, 7,000 unemployed people in the neighbouring town of Kirkby are chasing 17 vacancies, and on Merseyside there are 136,000 unemployed, which is a rate of 18 per cent. In that context, the loss of further jobs is of appalling consequence to the town and to the economy of the whole region. It is important not only because of the jobs that will be lost but because their loss threatens the viability of the parent plant and the 2,800 people employed there.

It is urgent that the House has the opportunity to debate those job losses and the continuing decline—indeed, the slow death and destruction — of the industry on Merseyside, so that we can hear from the Government what specific and concrete steps they intend to take to revitalise and regenerate the area. My constituents wish to know whether Merseyside is to be allowed to die, and with it their employment opportunities and prosperity.