Wick DWP Centre - Opportunity for more Jobs
July 22, 2004 12:00 AM
Local MP, John Thurso, has written to Government Ministers urging them to consider making Wick the Department for Work and Pensions processing centre for the North of Scotland. Following the announcement on Monday by the Chancellor of the Exchequer to cut 100,000 civil servant jobs, John Thurso fears this would lead to the centralisation of DWP processing work and the potential loss of jobs in Wick and other offices in the Highlands.
In a letter to Andrew Smith, the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, John Thurso explains that in the last 12 months Wick has suffered a series of heavy blows.
"Earlier this year, a major employer, Caithness Glass went into receivership which resulted in the closure of the Wick factory and the consequential loss of skilled jobs. Last month the Alliance & Leicester announced the closure of its bank in Wick and the Health Board is currently threatening to end the consultant-led maternity unit at the town's hospital.
"The announcement that jobs are also to go from the DWP office in Wick has come as a severe blow, particularly as it is Government policy to bring such jobs into the regions by dispersal. I am, therefore, writing to ask you to consider whether, instead of moving jobs from a community which needs them so desperately, you will make Wick one of the processing centres and thereby create new employment for the area."
The MP has also written to Alistair Darling in his capacity as Secretary of State for Scotland, Scotland's Deputy First Minister and Enterprise Minister, Jim Wallace, and Sandy Cumming, HIE Chief Executive. In his letter to Jim Wallace, John Thurso says:
"Having spoken to the regional management of the Department of Work and Pensions in Inverness, I see no reason why the new processing centre for the North of Scotland could not be placed in Wick, which would have the effect of creating something like 100 jobs".
Accepting that such an initiative would require larger office premises, the MP drew attention to the new business park which CASE and HIE have opened and suggested that with the help of the enterprise network and the Scottish Executive, DWP might be persuaded to locate a processing centre in Wick.
Commenting John Thurso said:
"Wick deserves support. The people are well educated and industrious and it would indeed be fitting if the Government's policy of dispersal could be used to help such a deserving community".
What would you like to do next?
-
Subscribe for updates
Follow the party's activity on...
- Twitter:
- Liberal Democrats
- Facebook:
- Liberal Democrats
- YouTube:
- Liberal Democrats