Banff & Buchan MP Dr Eilidh Whiteford has raised the Vion pull-out of the UK in
a Commons debate earlier this evening.
The SNP Westminster Agriculture spokesperson
was speaking during a debate on the Groceries Code Adjudicator Bill. She said:
“The disturbing and
disappointing news breaking this evening that Vion is pulling out of the UK illustrates
all too keenly the fragile nature of our food supply chains and the pressure
our food producers and processors face in the current economic climate. Some
13,000 people across the UK
work for Vion, including more than 130 in my constituency at Strath of Brydock.
I know Members across the House will share my concern about the uncertainty
facing the employees of Vion, and I ask the Minister to give us an assurance
this evening that everything possible will be done to ensure continuity in
those Vion plants across the UK, and that the Government will be working very
hard to find buyers for the businesses.
“The problems in the supply
chain are one of the factors that give rise to the problems food processors
face, and addressing them is one of the objectives of the Bill. This evening’s
news about Vion is very unfortunate, but it should serve to concentrate our
minds on why we so desperately need an effective groceries code adjudicator.
This is not a debate about an abstract topic; real people’s jobs and
livelihoods are at stake.”