CLOSURE OF LLOYDS TSB SERVICE CENTRE IN THORPE WOOD, PETERBOROUGH

That this House notes the decision of Lloyds TSB to close the Service Centre at Thorpe Wood, Peterborough, with the loss of 243 jobs; further notes the pre-tax profits of £7.16 billion for the Lloyds TSB Group in 2006; regrets the practice of outsourcing or offshoring by proxy, where offshoring of work from other bank sites creates surplus staff capacity, in this case in Andover and Bangalore, India; commends the responsible and dignified efforts to save their jobs of the dedicated and loyal workforce at Thorpe Wood; congratulates the Peterborough Evening Telegraph for their `Save Our City Jobs' campaign and Lloyds TSB Group Union for their professional and measured advocacy; and calls on Lloyds TSB Group to rescind their decision.