§ Annabelle EwingTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what discussions she has had with(a) Scottish Enterprise and (b) the Scottish Executive regarding the recent redundancies announced by Hewlett Packard. [72442]
§ Mrs. LiddellI have regular discussions with Scottish Executive and Scottish Enterprise colleagues on a range of issues, including the recent disappointing announcement by Hewlett Packard of the loss of 450 permanent and 180 temporary jobs at its facility in Erskine.
The Scottish Executive takes the lead in responding to local redundancies. Support will be provided to those affected through the Renfrewshire local response team (LRT) in conjunction with the Executive's PACE (Partnership Action for Continuing Employment) framework. This will ensure a rapid response from local agencies in terms of offering advice, support and guidance on the range of retraining/upskilling and employment opportunities.