That this House expresses its grave concern at the announcement of 1,300 job losses at the Ford Halewood plant; calls on the management of the Ford Motor Company to reconsider this decision; urges the company to move quickly to confirm the production of a new car at Halewood; and further urges the company to enter into early discussions with the Government, local authorities, trade unions and local honourable Members with a view to tackling any issues which may have led to this decision.

That this House expresses its grave concern at the announcement of 1,300 job losses at the Ford Halewood plant; calls on the management of the Ford Motor Company to reconsider this decision; urges the company to move quickly to confirm the production of a new car at Halewood; and further...

That this House regrets the action taken by the management of Glacier RPB at their factory in Polmadie, Glasgow in sacking, without notice, 97 engineering workers, including some who were off sick or on holiday at the time; notes that these workers, who are members of the Amalgamated Engineering & Electrical Union have been in occupation of the factory for more than two weeks in a dignified and responsible manner in an attempt to force management to negotiate with them; further notes that the factory manager, Mr Edward Milligan, has repeatedly refused to meet with the honourable Member for Glasgow Central, representatives of the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service or the regional officer of the AEEU; and calls on senior management of the parent company, T&N plc, to intervene by ensuring that Mr Milligan and his management team in Glasgow re-instate all 97 sacked workers and begin negotiations to achieve a settlement to this quite unnecessary dispute on a fair and sensible basis.

That this House regrets the action taken by the management of Glacier RPB at their factory in Polmadie, Glasgow in sacking, without notice, 97 engineering workers, including some who were off sick or on holiday at the time; notes that these workers, who are members of the Amalgamated Engineering &...

That this House is dismayed at Eurotunnel's inappropriate decision to declare, from 1st January 1997, 657 redundancies, 307 of which will be in the United Kingdom; in addition notes that two dozen security staff on short term contracts are not to have their contracts renewed from the end of November 1996; understands that these security staff are highly trained and experienced operatives, many having previously been employed in security work in Northern Ireland; further notes that these workers were recruited on short term contracts but with the implied promise and expectation of permanent work at some later date; considers that although Eurotunnel has made claims to the contrary, it is clear that the security operatives are to be replaced by either non-specialist Eurotunnel staff or agency labour, believes it is indicative of the disregard by employers of employees that Eurotunnel's chosen employment agency, Staffsign, is already attempting to recruit Eurotunnel security staff at wages 33 per cent. less than are currently paid; deeply regrets that Eurotunnel is seeking to engage its staff in so-called consultation exclusively through the mechanism of its own company council thereby avoiding the legitimate right of these employees who are members of the Transport and General Workers Union to be consulted and represented through the mechanisms of that union; and calls upon Eurotunnel to rescind its current programme of job cuts, particularly in the interests of public safety and open a dialogue with the Transport and General Workers Union about developing an independent and representative industrial relations forum for the future.

That this House is dismayed at Eurotunnel's inappropriate decision to declare, from 1st January 1997, 657 redundancies, 307 of which will be in the United Kingdom; in addition notes that two dozen security staff on short term contracts are not to have their contracts renewed from the end of November...

That this House notes with dismay the proposed closure of the STC Submarine Systems factory in Southampton from July 1996; notes that at the time of the sale of STC Submarine Systems to Alcatel in 1993, STC Submarine's UK operations held 30 per cent. of the world market for long-haul deep-water undersea telecommunications systems and that the company pioneered many of the present technologies in use; recognises that the closure would render meaningless assurances which were given by Alcatel to the Monopolies and Mergers Commission and accepted by the Government in 1993; believes that a down-turn in cable markets has been used as justification for removing a successful UK manufacturing facilitity from the world market to the benefit of Alcatel's French operations; and calls on the Government to put every available pressure on Alcatel to withdraw its decision to close this plant.

That this House notes with dismay the proposed closure of the STC Submarine Systems factory in Southampton from July 1996; notes that at the time of the sale of STC Submarine Systems to Alcatel in 1993, STC Submarine's UK operations held 30 per cent. of the world market for long-haul...

That this House is both amazed and appalled that at a time when the Prison Service is to undergo massive budget cuts over the next three years, when prison officers are being asked to take voluntary redundancy and there is a threat of compulsory redundancies, the Home Secretary has announced that the prison population will rise by approximately 11,000 over the next two years and that 25 new jails will need to be constructed over the next 10 to 12 years; and consequently demands to know why, with a rising prison population, savage cuts and less staff are required, ultimately putting the general public at risk.

That this House is both amazed and appalled that at a time when the Prison Service is to undergo massive budget cuts over the next three years, when prison officers are being asked to take voluntary redundancy and there is a threat of compulsory redundancies, the Home Secretary has announced...

That this House condemns the precipitate decision of Coates Viyella to close their St Helens factory with the loss of 386 jobs without any consultation with the workforce or their representatives; notes with anger and dismay that the St Helens factory's production of shirts for Marks and Spencer will be transferred to Coates Viyella low wage factories in Mauritius and Morocco; further notes that this factory, where wages are between ??150-??160 per week has such a long history of good industrial relations that in 1995 the workforce won for the company an Investing in People award; and therefore calls upon Coates Viyella to honour the assurance they gave to the workforce, St Helens Council and the honourable Members for St Helens North and St Helens South, when they took over Tootals, that the factory and its workforce had a long term future.

That this House condemns the precipitate decision of Coates Viyella to close their St Helens factory with the loss of 386 jobs without any consultation with the workforce or their representatives; notes with anger and dismay that the St Helens factory's production of shirts for Marks and Spencer will be...

That this House condemns the rapacious pricing policy of Marks and Spencer's which, according to Coates Viyella, is forcing them to close their St. Helens shirt factory with the loss of 386 jobs, and where wages are only ??150-??160 per week, and transfer the factory's production to low wage factories in Mauritius and Morocco; and therefore calls upon Marks and Spencers to review this situation and continue to accept shirts from St. Helens, thereby maintaining British jobs.

That this House condemns the rapacious pricing policy of Marks and Spencer's which, according to Coates Viyella, is forcing them to close their St. Helens shirt factory with the loss of 386 jobs, and where wages are only ??150-??160 per week, and transfer the factory's production to low wage factories...

That this House notes that the proposed closure of Coates Viyella's St. Helens shirt factory and the transfer of its production to Mauritius and Morocco will result in 386 people being thrown onto the dole in an area which is already an unemployment blackspot; further notes that these employees, many of whom are single parents, and, on wages of ??150 to ??160 per week not highly paid, will now have to live on social seurity benefits instead of being gainfully employed; and therefore calls upon Her Majesty's Government to take immediate action against the transfer of British jobs to foreign low wage producers where social security benefits and health and safety at work standards are virtually non-existent.

That this House notes that the proposed closure of Coates Viyella's St. Helens shirt factory and the transfer of its production to Mauritius and Morocco will result in 386 people being thrown onto the dole in an area which is already an unemployment blackspot; further notes that these employees, many...

That this House expresses grave concern at Her Majesty's Government's planned reduction in the British Council's grant amounting to ??22 million over the next three years; recognises the disastrous impact on the role of the British Council as the country's principal agency for cultural relations abroad; expresses utter dismay at the callous treatment to British Council employees in Manchester where they face 200 job losses and a further 300 jobs being relocated outside the city; understands that this situation arises only four years after the British Council moved 600 employees to its new site in Manchester; notes the distress caused to these families who now find themselves abandoned, without a job and with an insecure future; is appalled at Her Majesty's Government apparent lack of interest in their plight; and urges a reconsideration of these cuts which this House considers unreasonable and irrational.

That this House expresses grave concern at Her Majesty's Government's planned reduction in the British Council's grant amounting to ??22 million over the next three years; recognises the disastrous impact on the role of the British Council as the country's principal agency for cultural relations abroad; expresses utter dismay at...

That this House expresses grave concern at the decision of GEC Alsthom to relocate one of its subsidiary companies, Long and Crawford Ltd., from its present position, Gorton Road, Manchester to the GEC Alsthom site at High Openshaw, Manchester, which will create 135 redundancies in East Manchester, an area already devastated by the loss of large manufacturing industries in recent years, resulting in job losses of over 30,000; recognises that the onus for failing the employees of Long and Crawford Ltd. lies entirely with the management in allowing a profitable company, acquired in 1988, to fall into decline at the expense of its employees; condemns GEC Alsthom for taking a decision that once they had recovered the cost of acquisition, they would asset strip, close the factory, relocate, sell the land and sack 135 workers; deplores the treatment of men being made redundant who in many cases have given the company a lifetime of skilled and dedicated service; and calls upon Her Majesty's Government to intervene in this and other such cases to halt the further collapse of the United Kingdom manufacturing base and retain the skills and commitment of such workers as those at Long and Crawford Ltd. before they are lost forever.

That this House expresses grave concern at the decision of GEC Alsthom to relocate one of its subsidiary companies, Long and Crawford Ltd., from its present position, Gorton Road, Manchester to the GEC Alsthom site at High Openshaw, Manchester, which will create 135 redundancies in East Manchester, an area already...

That this House is dismayed at the decision of Scottish Courage nationally to axe 1,600 jobs, reduce their breweries from nine to seven, and their distribution depots from 41 to 28; is further concerned at the closure of Home Brewery, Nottinghamshire, the last remaining brewery in Greater Nottingham with the loss of over 200 jobs; expresses sympathy for the loyal staff who along with their local trade union officials, Gedling Borough Council and Nottingham City Council put forward constructive proposals to prevent closure; regrets the decision of the Minister for Competition Policy not to refer the merger of Scottish Newcastle and Courage to the Monopolies and Mergers Commission despite the original decision of the Office of Fair Trading to do so; and calls on the Minister now to use his influence to request Scottish Courage to reconsider their decisons on all the closures

That this House is dismayed at the decision of Scottish Courage nationally to axe 1,600 jobs, reduce their breweries from nine to seven, and their distribution depots from 41 to 28; is further concerned at the closure of Home Brewery, Nottinghamshire, the last remaining brewery in Greater Nottingham with the...

That this House congratulates Sheffield Co-ordinating Centre against Unemployment on undertaking a survey of the experience of the skilled manufacturing workers one year on from being made redundant at the Union Carbide factory at Wadsley Bridge in Sheffield; expresses its deep concern that one in three are still unemployed, that only 37 per cent. of the skilled workforce have found full-time permanent work, that 92 per cent. of respondents found jobcentres were irrelevant to their needs and that 30 per cent. of respondents experienced a drop of more than 35 per cent. in their earnings; and notes that the survey highlights the need for an urgent review of economic policy which makes it so hard for skilled workers over the age of 40 years to find new job opportunities.

That this House congratulates Sheffield Co-ordinating Centre against Unemployment on undertaking a survey of the experience of the skilled manufacturing workers one year on from being made redundant at the Union Carbide factory at Wadsley Bridge in Sheffield; expresses its deep concern that one in three are still unemployed, that...

That this House notes with grave concern the recent announcement of over 150 jobs lost at the Dickinson Factory in Kirkby; deplores the manner in which the work force were told the news and sent home without any prior consultation with their trade union, the GPMU; further notes the high unemployment in Kirkby; and calls on the President of the Board of Trade to hold urgent talks with the management of the company with a view to reversing this disastrous decision.

That this House notes with grave concern the recent announcement of over 150 jobs lost at the Dickinson Factory in Kirkby; deplores the manner in which the work force were told the news and sent home without any prior consultation with their trade union, the GPMU; further notes the high...

That this House deplores the Chancellor of the Exchequer's Budget measure of axing the National Savings yearly plan and Save As You Earn schemes which are administered in Durham City with the loss of 160 Civil Service jobs in an attempt to cut public expenditure to finance future tax cuts and which is furthermore a mean measure which hits at small ordinary savers and prevents them from making gradual tax free savings whilst at the same time increasing incentives for personal equity plans to help the better off evade tax.

That this House deplores the Chancellor of the Exchequer's Budget measure of axing the National Savings yearly plan and Save As You Earn schemes which are administered in Durham City with the loss of 160 Civil Service jobs in an attempt to cut public expenditure to finance future tax cuts...

That this House deeply regrets the loss of 204 jobs at Gallahers Distribution in Northolt following repeated and heavy increases in cigarette taxation; notes that smokers are turning in large numbers to smuggled and cheaper, less heavily taxed foreign cigarettes from France, Germany and other countries; greatly regrets that jobs of British citizens are therefore being transferred to other countries; and calls upon Her Majesty's Government to reconsider its strategy of severe increases in tobacco taxation in view of the foregoing.

That this House deeply regrets the loss of 204 jobs at Gallahers Distribution in Northolt following repeated and heavy increases in cigarette taxation; notes that smokers are turning in large numbers to smuggled and cheaper, less heavily taxed foreign cigarettes from France, Germany and other countries; greatly regrets that jobs...

That this House notes with concern the proposed loss of over 200 jobs at GEC Engineering (Accrington) as a result of the continuing recession in the aircraft industry; recognises that these redundancies are a disaster for the workforce and will cause real damage to the skills base of the East Lancashire economy; further notes that GEC is a cash rich company which recorded pre-tax profits in the last financial year of $866 million, and which can afford to bid for VSEL but apparently cannot afford to stand by its loyal workforce in Accrington; believes that GEC Engineering (Accrington) should be given further time to prove its economic viability; and therefore calls on the GEC board to defer these proposed redundancies pending talks with the trade unions, local authorities, honourable Members and other interested bodies.

That this House notes with concern the proposed loss of over 200 jobs at GEC Engineering (Accrington) as a result of the continuing recession in the aircraft industry; recognises that these redundancies are a disaster for the workforce and will cause real damage to the skills base of the East...

That this House welcomes the Government's Green Paper, Tackling Drugs Together, but expresses concern at recent Press reports of impending large scale cuts in Customs and Excise staffing levels, including around 600 anti-smuggling officers, which would be inconsistent with the Government's stated objective to get tough with drug smuggling; and therefore urges the Government to end Press speculation by publicly confirming that there will be no cuts in Customs staffing levels. (Relevant registered interest declared)

That this House welcomes the Government's Green Paper, Tackling Drugs Together, but expresses concern at recent Press reports of impending large scale cuts in Customs and Excise staffing levels, including around 600 anti-smuggling officers, which would be inconsistent with the Government's stated objective to get tough with drug smuggling; and...

That this House notes with concern the proposed privatisation of the Information Technology Services Agency of the Department of Social Security at Washington and Long Benton, Newcastle on Tyne; notes that this is likely to lead to the loss of up to 500 jobs in areas where unemployment is already high; notes that contrary to Government policy, the staff have been given no opportunity to compete with the private sector; further notes that much of the information handled by ITSA is confidential; calls on the Government to take steps to ensure that the records handled by ITSA will remain confidential; also calls on the Government to permit the staff an opportunity to bid for the work; and, finally, calls for an assurance that, whatever happens, the jobs involved will remain in the North East.

That this House notes with concern the proposed privatisation of the Information Technology Services Agency of the Department of Social Security at Washington and Long Benton, Newcastle on Tyne; notes that this is likely to lead to the loss of up to 500 jobs in areas where unemployment is already...