§ 1. Helen Jones (Warrington, North)What support he is providing for those facing redundancy as a result of the planned closure of Marks and Spencer Direct. [159055]
§ The Minister for Competitiveness (Mr. Alan Johnson)The North West development agency has met the local management team at Marks and Spencer in Warrington and discussed possible assistance, including access to the rapid response fund. Other partners, including the Employment Service, the Cheshire and Warrington local skills council and Warrington borough council are also ready to provide support and guidance to the staff affected.
§ Helen JonesI am grateful to my hon. Friend for that reply and for the support that we have had from his Department so far. Will he use his best endeavours to ensure that Marks and Spencer works in close liaison with the economic development department of the local council, which is doing its best to find jobs for those who will lose their current posts? Will he also tell me what funds will be available for retraining for those who need it?
§ Mr. JohnsonI can assure my hon. Friend that all the agencies will work together to ensure that we mitigate the effects of this announcement. Incidentally, Invest UK has sent details of the Marks and Spencer facilities at Warrington to its key overseas posts, which are making contact with the relevant companies in their regions that might be interested in acquiring the site. It has also achieved agreement from Marks and Spencer that all the facilities in the surrounding outlets, including the distribution centre at Warrington, will be made available. We particularly want to ensure that the call centre is taken over as a going concern, including the facility of financial assistance. My hon. Friend has represented her constituents assiduously in this case and we will do all that we can to work with her to find a satisfactory conclusion.
§ Mr. David Tredinnick (Bosworth)Is the Minister aware that closures at Marks and Spencer always have a 962 devastating effect in my constituency, particularly in Hinckley? Will he reflect on the fact that, after four years of Labour Government, there has been an endless list of closures of firms in the hosiery and knitwear industries in my constituency, including Pex, Brookside Dyers, Smallshaw group, Stannards and Capital Leisure? There is a perception that the Government have done absolutely nothing for manufacturing in the midlands and especially in my constituency.
§ Mr. JohnsonI am aware of the job losses in the hon. Gentleman's constituency. The textiles and clothing industry has been going through a hard time. What we have done, in co-operation with the industry and its work force, is to set up the national strategy for the UK textiles and clothing industry, which includes a whole series of initiatives supported by the industry, to improve its competitiveness. We will continue that work to ensure that the kind of losses suffered by the hon. Gentleman's constituents are mitigated and that there will be a turnaround in the industry.