§ Mr. Ashtonasked the Secretary of State for Employment what will be the cost to public funds of a further 500 people in the Gainsborough travel-to-work area being made redundant due to the closure of the Buxted chicken factory.
§ Mr. WaddingtonIt is not possible to give any realistic estimate of the cost. This is partly because detailed information on those who could be made redundant is not available. It is also impossible, for example, to know how many of the Buxted workers would claim benefit, how long they would remain out of work, and the extent to which replacement of the output of this factory by other producers would generate additional jobs.