10-12-02

Over 100,000 jobs lost in Scots manufacturing

A massive 100,000 jobs have been lost in the manufacturing industry in Scotland since 1998, say new figures released today by John Barrett.

The report also showed a worsening situation, with manufacturing redundancies up over 4,600 compared to last year.

The crisis facing Scottish manufacturing was highlighted today during a House of Commons Liberal Democrat led debate.

Liberal Democrat MP, John Barrett, who secured the debate, highlighted the need to address the manufacturing crisis. He added:

"Manufacturing directly or indirectly accounts for almost 20% of Scottish employment and almost 70% of all Scottish exports. The sector also supports a large amount of service sector employment.

"Recent job losses such as Grampian Foods and Continental Tyres in my own constituency have had a devastating impact on those who lost their jobs and their communities. And the picture looks just as bleak across the country with NEC, Motorola and Rolls Royce just a few of the companies who have shed jobs in Scotland over the last few years.

"The high level of the pound and excessive red tape presided over by Gordon Brown only make things harder for Scottish industry. The UK Government must now make a concerted effort to prevent further loss of Scottish jobs by and ensuring an adequate skills base and encouraging the financial sector to be more flexible when it comes to capital investment."

ENDS