§ Mr. KidneyTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment he has made of the impact of the restructuring by Alstom of its operations in Stafford on the local labour market. [106677]
§ Mr. CabornIt is too early to assess the impact on Stafford's labour market of the proposed redundancies at Alstom. Officials from Staffordshire Training and Enterprise Council and the Employment Service will be meeting the company on 25 January. Following that meeting a clearer picture of the company's plans should emerge.
§ Mr. KidneyTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what support his Department will make available to(a) Alstom, (b) the Employment Service and (c) the local authorities following the announcement of job losses at Alstom's Stafford sites. [106678]
§ Mr. CabornI understand that representatives of the Employment Service and Staffordshire Training and Enterprise Council are to meet with the Company on 25 January to determine the precise nature of the support package required for those people who may be made redundant at Alstom.
They will then consider with the local authorities and Advantage West Midlands whether to apply for additional support from the Government's Rapid Response Fund to supplement what they are currently able to offer redundant workers. These include guidance interviews, retraining and job search facilities.