§ Mr. Andrew WelshTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what estimates he has made of the financial consequences for the local economy of the closure of the Glenesk Foods Ltd. factory in Brechin; and what action he intends to take.
§ Mr. Allan Stewart[holding answer 16 December 1991]: The information received by my Department from HL Foods indicates that the Glenesk Foods Ltd. factory in Brechin is not faced with complete closure. HL Foods has decided to cease the factory's canning operations but will continue to produce ready meals at the site. Such matters are best left to the commercial judgment of the company concerned.
The local enterprise company, Scottish Enterprise Tayside, is actively involved in the soft fruit and vegetable industries in Tayside through a number of initiatives. The enterprise company has already held meetings with those involved at Glenesk Foods to establish the likely effect on soft fruit suppliers and to develop, in partnership with others, an action plan to minimise the effect of the job losses. The full range of Employment Service activities will also be available to assist those who have lost their jobs to gain employment.