JOB LOSSES AT BRITVIC

That this House recognises the historic and economic significance of Robinsons, now Britvic, and Colman's, now Unilever, to the city of Norwich; notes with dismay Britvic's proposed withdrawal of production from the Carrow Road site which will lead to almost 250 job losses; further notes the adverse impact that withdrawal could have on the future of the Colman’s Mustard factory located there; understands that could result in a further 100 job losses as well as around 700 in the wider economy and supply chain; believes around five per cent of food and drink manufacturing jobs in Norfolk are under threat and that if Britvic and Unilever abandon Norwich to adopt an M1-focussed logistics model, thousands more jobs could follow suit; further believes that would be a double whammy for the city given the challenges of Brexit; urges the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy to ensure both companies engage in meaningful consultations, which so far, have not been the case with Britvic; welcomes the Scottish Government’s recent £4.6 million investment in new production lines for its food and drinks industry; requests that the Government commits to a similar course of action to keep Robinsons and Colman's in Norwich; and further welcomes the constructive role Norwich City Council, Norfolk County Council, GMB, Unite and the New Anglia LEP have played in protecting those jobs.