WOOLWORTHS CLOSURE

That this House is appalled by the imminent closure of Woolworths, after 99 years of trading, with the loss of some 30,000 jobs and more than 700 high street stores; calls on the Prime Minister and the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform to take all necessary steps to create a People's Woolies, under public control, as a bulwark against the worst effects of the recession, employing local people, sourcing local produce, easily accessible by public transport, and providing the goods and services that those on low incomes need; and asks that this be done as a matter of urgency before the assets of Woolworths are stripped without any public benefit whatsoever.