Question reference: S6W-25695
- Asked by: Ross Greer, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Green Party
- Date lodged: 23 February 2024
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Current status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 4 March 2024
Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports that Thermo Fisher Scientific has recently announced a high number of staff redundancies in Scotland after having received substantial sums of public money, and what its position is on whether any companies that move jobs overseas to reduce costs should be disqualified from applying for future public grants and funding.
Answer
I was concerned to learn of potential job losses at Thermo Fisher Scientific. I am due to speak with the company in the near future to discuss the situation. Additionally, officials in Scottish Enterprise are actively engaging with Thermo Fisher Scientific to ensure that the business explores available options to retain as many jobs as possible. In the unfortunate event that any individuals should be facing redundancy, the Scottish Government will provide support through our initiative for responding to redundancy situations, Partnership Action for Continuing Employment, PACE.
Grants and loans entered into by Scottish Ministers and any public body subject to the Scottish Public Finance Manual (SPFM) are subject to the principles set out in the manual and have appropriate terms and conditions applied to protect public resources.