15th January 2007
New Cal Mac HQ Must Stay in Inverclyde,
McNeil tells Minister
The
Gourock transport interchange project will require the relocation of the
railhead at Gourock station, which, in turn, will require the demolition of the
adjacent Cal Mac HQ. Under
Scottish Executive policies aimed at relocating public sector jobs, this move
would trigger a review of the future location of the workplace.
Mr
McNeil, however, says the Cal Mac jobs are vital to the local economy and has
called for any relocation review to be shelved immediately.
Speaking
to the Telegraph, he said:
“The
Gourock development will give the local economy a real boost and we can’t
allow these benefits to be negated by moving Cal Mac out of Inverclyde.
They need a new HQ – and that HQ must be in Inverclyde.
“There
are plenty of other towns which want these jobs, but I’m determined that they
won’t be going anywhere. It would
be totally pointless for the Executive to spend time and money considering
relocating public sector jobs out of our community at the same time as I’m
campaigning to bring more such jobs into the area.
“I
have therefore called on Finance Minister, Tom McCabe, not to proceed with the
location review in this case and give us assurances that these vital jobs will
remain in Inverclyde.”
In
a letter to Finance and Public Sector Reform Minister, Tom McCabe, Mr McNeil
said:
“The
jobs provided by Cal Mac are vital to our local economy.
The sort of skilled, secure jobs which Cal Mac provides are at a premium
in Inverclyde and, at a time when I am campaigning to bring more public sector
jobs to my constituency, it would seem illogical for the Executive to spend time
and money considering relocating such jobs out of the area.
“Also,
with the redevelopment of the Inverclyde waterfront, there would be no shortage
of alternative accommodation for Cal Mac’s HQ available in the local authority
area and within the necessary timescale.
“For
these reasons, I would therefore argue that a location review should not be
carried out in this case and would seek your assurance that the Cal Mac
headquarters and the jobs it provides will remain in my constituency.”
ENDS
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