POST OFFICE CLOSURES CRIPPLE COMMUNITIES

Following this morning's meeting with Minister, Anne McQuire, Chesterfield Liberal Democrat MP Paul Holmes welcomed the consultation period now being offered to all Remploy employees, following the publication yesterday of the Price Waterhouse Coopers review of the Remploy factories.

"There were fears that the report was a foregone conclusion that would lead to rapid factory closures affecting many in the Chesterfield, North Derbyshire and South Yorkshire area. In fact there are a number of welcome reassurances both in the report and from the Minister this morning:

First - funding for Remploy (£111 Million per year, supporting 9,000 disabled people, 5,000 of them in 83 factories) is not going to be cut.

Second - Any restructuring of how Remploy uses this money to best support disabled people will take place over a 5 year period with no compulsory redundancies.

Third - Remploy employees, management and Unions have the Autumn and Spring in which to make the case for how to move forward in their area."

"I know, from my visits there, that the Chesterfield Remploy Factory has a very good business case for remaining in operation and now has a good opportunity to make that case over the next few months. The Government's emphasis on moving the focus from long term sheltered employment, to training and equipping people for the open job market, presents particular challenges.

Those who have worked for many years in a Remploy factory and are nearing retirement age must be safeguarded. Some disabilities also make it much harder to obtain and maintain full time employment and the Government must recognise and allow for this. Anne McQuire assured me this morning that she was aware of and supportive of these issues.

I am writing to all the employees at the Chesterfield factory to assure them of my continued support for them over the difficult and uncertain period ahead."