Minister insists fuel supplies not under threat despite oil refinery closure
Michael Shanks pledged to support the workers who are facing redundancy, but said there is little action the Government can take to improve the statutory redundancy offer.
Speaking in the Commons, he said: 'We have worked urgently to ensure the safety of the refinery site, the security of fuel supplies and to protect workers.
'This has also allowed time for bidders to express an interest in the site.
'Following a thorough process, the official receiver has rigorously assessed all the bids received and concluded that sale of the business as a whole is not a credible option.'
He added: 'A package has been offered to all those directly employed at the refinery, which guarantees their jobs and pay over the coming months.
'And alongside the usual support that is offered to workforces in insolvency situations, the Government will also immediately fund a comprehensive training guarantee for those refinery workers to ensure they have the skills needed and the support to find jobs, for example, in the growing clean energy workforce.'
The Lindsey site is one of only five large oil refineries remaining in the UK after the recent closure of the Grangemouth plant in Scotland.
Prax Group is led by majority owner and chairman and chief executive Sanjeev Kumar Soosaipillai, who bought the Lindsey oil refinery from French firm Total in 2021.
Shadow energy minister Andrew Bowie, who tabled the urgent question, claimed 625 jobs are at risk as he pressed the minister for an update on its investigation into the collapse of the company.
He also asked: 'What, if any, assessment has been made into the UK's resilience given the steep reduction in our refining capacity over the past six months?
'What, if any, assessment has been made on the increased reliance on imports that will be necessary as a result of the reduction in British refining capacity?'
Mr Shanks said fuel supplies had 'adjusted' in the past few weeks, adding: 'Our assessment suggests there isn't an immediate risk to fuel supplies locally or in the wider area, but we'll continue to monitor that.'
On the investigation, he said: 'There is not much I can update the House on at the moment, because the insolvency service is carrying out that investigation.'
Conservative MP Martin Vickers, whose Brigg and Immingham constituency includes the oil refinery, said he wanted to see 'the maximum support given to those workers'.
Mr Shanks replied: 'We have looked and pushed and pushed to see if there is more action Government can take to change or to give any additional payments.
'It's not possible for Government to do that, not least because the insolvency service has to follow very specific rules in terms of creditors and what their parameters are to operate in the event of an insolvency.
'But I do think the owners of this company have profited from this business, and they should do the right thing by the workforce that delivered that for them.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Herald Scotland
31 minutes ago
- The Herald Scotland
Viral photo of 'starving' child in Gaza is misleading
This has led President Donald Trump to say he wanted to boost U.S. humanitarian efforts in war-torn Gaza. Hamas terrorists in Gaza started the war on Oct. 7, 2023, when they attacked Israel, slaughtering and kidnapping hundreds of Israeli citizens. Palestinian civilians are now paying the price for those atrocities. Opinion: Trump is racking up GOP wins no one else could. What do Never Trumpers say now? "We can save a lot of people," Trump said July 28, while meeting with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer in Scotland. "I mean, some of those kids are - that's real starvation stuff. I see it, and you can't fake it." But what if you can? New York Times does damage control after misleading image The photograph of one mother and child in particular has created a firestorm. The New York Times published a lengthy report online about alleged starvation in Gaza on July 24, featuring 18-month-old Mohammed Zakaria al-Mutawaq. Photos show a child in distress, with his bones painfully visible. His mother tries to comfort him. The Times then ran the story on its print front page July 25, with the photo of the child and his mother as the leading image. The caption says the child was "born healthy" but is suffering from "severe malnutrition." Yet, it turned out there was more to the story. Five days after the story was published, on July 29, The Times issued an editor's note (buried at the bottom of the article) as well as a brief statement on its communications social media page that offered readers much-needed context. The note "clarifies" that the child suffers from serious "pre-existing health problems." "We have since learned new information, including from the hospital that treated him and his medical records, and have updated our story to add context about his pre-existing health problems," a Times spokesperson said in the statement. "This additional detail gives readers a greater understanding of his situation." That's putting it mildly. Opinion alerts: Get columns from your favorite columnists + expert analysis on top issues, delivered straight to your device through the USA TODAY app. Don't have the app? Download it for free from your app store. The Times certainly wasn't alone in running images of Mohammed. Others, including CNN, did as well. After all, a picture paints a thousand words. And these photos went viral, making Mohammed the face of starving children across Gaza. It also buoyed the narrative pushed by the media and progressives that Israel is at fault for blocking aid from flowing to the Palestinians in need. Opinion: Sydney Sweeney's jeans ad triggers liberals. She looks good. They don't. Too many journalists have abandoned truth for advocacy But thanks to the reporting of independent journalists and pushback from Israel officials, the truth has come out. The state of Israel posted on social media another photograph of the mother and child, which features the child's older brother, who appears healthy. The contrast makes it clear that there's much more contributing to Mohammed's condition than lack of food. "BBC, CNN, Daily Express, and The New York Times spread a misleading story using a picture of a sick, disabled child to promote a narrative of mass starvation in Gaza - playing into the hands of Hamas's propaganda war," the post states. Share your opinion: Are you concerned about starvation in Gaza? Should US do more to help? Tell us. | Opinion Forum Americans deserve the full story. For instance, David Makovsky, director of the program on Arab-Israel Relations at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, recently pointed out on X that a United Nations report shows that "87% of its 2,010 food trucks in Gaza (85% by tonnage) from May 19-July 29 were 'intercepted' - either peacefully by crowds or forcefully by armed actors." In other words, Hamas is intercepting food meant for civilians. That's worth reporting. Trump is right to feel empathy for the innocent civilians in Gaza, especially the children. But it's Hamas who deserves the blame for their plight - not Israel. As Trump noted in a July 31 Truth Social post, "The fastest way to end the Humanitarian Crises in Gaza is for Hamas to SURRENDER AND RELEASE THE HOSTAGES!!!" The truth is that Hamas is using the suffering of those who live under its grip to try to achieve its aims. That's the real tragedy. Ingrid Jacques is a columnist at USA TODAY. Contact her at ijacques@ or on X: @Ingrid_Jacques
The Herald Scotland
31 minutes ago
- The Herald Scotland
Jet2 slams Trump deportation meme. White House hits back
"Our branding has become something of a viral phenomenon this summer and we are pleased to see how many people have used it in good humour," a and Jet2holidays spokesperson said in a July 31 statement to USA TODAY. "This has put a smile on many people's faces, just like our holidays do." 'Nothing beats a Jet2 holiday': Mariah Carey, Jeff Goldblum and more stars jump on trend The statement continued: "We are of course aware of a post from the White House social media account. This is not endorsed by us in any way, and we are very disappointed to see our brand being used to promote Government policy such as this." In a video posted on the White House's official social media accounts on July 29, people are escorted out of a van and marched onto a plane while their hands and ankles are handcuffed. Though federal agents' faces are blurred, the detainees' faces are not. The footage is set to the audio of the 2024 commercial, which blasts British singer Jess Glynne's 2015 song "Hold My Hand" as it advertises a limited-time vacation package deal for customers. The caption for the White House's post, which references the script heard in the advertisement, reads: "When ICE books you a one-way Jet2 holiday to deportation. ?? Nothing beats it!" Since his return to the White House, President Trump has spearheaded a mass deportation campaign, targeting undocumented workers and families across the 50 states. 'The memes will continue': White House When reached for comment by USA TODAY, the White House's deputy press secretary vowed to continue using memes to promote the Trump administration's campaign promise for a crackdown on people living in the U.S. without documents. "There is nothing more unifying and positive than deporting criminal illegal aliens and making American communities safer," said Abigail Jackson. "The memes will continue until every criminal illegal alien is removed!" 'Makes me sick': Singer slams White House for using her song to promote deportations Trump has long vowed to deport undocumented immigrants, citing threats to public safety. Deportation efforts, which have involved a huge budget increase for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and an expansion of jail facilities, including the so-called "Alligator Alcatraz," have contributed to steep declines in border crossings by unauthorized migrants. Despite claims of a focus on those with criminal backgrounds, there are reports of people, including schoolchildren, farm workers, those who are married to U.S. citizens and legal permanent residents without criminal records, also being targeted by the Department of Homeland Security. Singer Jess Glynne 'sick' over deportation video using 'Hold My Hand' Glynne, 35, whose pop hit helped propel the widely parodied commercial to fame, has also spoken out about the White House's use of it. "This post honestly makes me sick. My music is about love, unity, and spreading positivity - never about division or hate," she wrote in a July 30 Instagram story alongside a screenshot of the White House's deportation video on X. Know your meme: The Jet2 holiday audio, explained What is 'a Jet2 holiday'? The 2024 commercial, which has blown up on TikTok with nearly 2 million videos using its audio, features British actress Zoe Lister heartily declaring, "Nothing beats a Jet2 holiday. And right now, you can save ?50 per person! That's ?200 off for a family of four." Many users feature the upbeat sound in their videos, juxtaposing it with a horrifying vacation incident or a funny, candid moment. One post depicts a traveler standing in a construction zone after allegedly being stranded in Croatia because their hotel "hasn't actually been built yet." Another shows a person spraying a fire extinguisher around an airport terminal after attempting to sneak on an airplane.
The Independent
35 minutes ago
- The Independent
Heathrow's third runway plan is wrong – and not just because of noise and pollution
Here we go again. To say there is a deja vu aspect to the latest proposal to build Heathrow's third runway is an understatement. For reasons that are not clear, Sir Keir Starmer has determined the airport's expansion to be a key plank in the government's economic growth strategy. Seemingly, he did not take into account the issues that grounded the plans in the past, as far back as 1968 – namely, Heathrow's unfortunate and unavoidable proximity to the M25, the rivers and their valleys that cross that part of west London, the additional noise pollution, and the need for improved and costly transport links to and from the centre of the capital that will result from the vast uplift in passengers. On the constant sound from the increased number of planes landing and taking off, the prime minister will insist that great technological strides have been made in curbing the din. It is true that new aircraft are less noisy. However, they are still extremely audible, there will be more of them, and they will be flying over a heavily residential area. As for the rest, nothing has altered fundamentally, environmentally and logistically, since Heathrow last submitted a scheme, pre-Covid. Inflation means the bill is now an eye-watering £49bn. The bill, ultimately, will be borne by the air passenger, and Heathrow is already the most expensive airport in the world. Will the airlines and their customers stomach at least a doubling in charges? There is the thorny problem, too, of public transport to and from London. The London mayor will be expected to find a way to enable an extra 60 million people a year to use Heathrow. Transport for London is strapped for cash, struggling to upgrade the Tube network. How the additional demand will be met is not clear. What has shifted as well is the nature of air travel. Post-pandemic, business travel is down and looks unlikely to recover – that, certainly, is what the industry is saying. During the outbreak, holding meetings remotely came into its own and employers took a hard look at their budgets – Zoom or Teams often represent a better alternative in executive time and expense. That therefore raises a major doubt about one of the main claims made for Heathrow's extension. It is said to be necessary to enhance London and the UK's standing in the business world, but how, if the commercial users are not there? There has been movement too, and not of the positive kind, in attitude towards Heathrow the operator. The power outage that shut down the plum in Starmer's vision for resurgence and global acclaim was a shocking episode; it not only highlighted a neglected infrastructure but also a failure of management. Thomas Woldbye, who is seeking permission to build this national project, is the same boss who slept through the night as Britain's busiest airport ceased to function. Heathrow's reputation in the sector was already poor, but this took it to a new low. Woldbye has an idea that is different from the one previously suggested, which is to build the third runway over the M25, taking the motorway underneath – and all without any disruption to road users. This is fanciful even without a track record that hardly inspires confidence. Which raises another question. Why? Why should Heathrow as a company get to preside over the airport's improvement and reap the benefits? If we're all agreed that it is a vital national asset, holding a pivotal place in the economy, then why should the incumbent be in charge, not to mention entrusted, with its development? Those who wax lyrical about Heathrow's importance like to reminisce about how Britain led the transformation of international aviation. Boosting the airport is seen as completing that journey. It is the case that we once did. That was in the Margaret Thatcher era, when British Airways was freed from the shackles of state ownership. Thatcher did more than that, though. She enabled and encouraged competition, giving a steer to the challengers and disruptors, notably to Richard Branson at Virgin and Michael Bishop at British Midland. The newly privatised BA was forced to raise its game, and together, these three set new standards. There appears to be an assumption that Woldbye's company must be given the job. But there is another option. Surinder Arora, the self-made billionaire who has masterminded the building of leading hotels at Heathrow and other airports and is a substantial Heathrow landowner, has his own remedy. His is much cheaper, envisaging a shorter runway that does not affect the M25. It is easy to dismiss Arora. But he is popular with the airlines, he rails rightly against Heathrow's pricing, and he knows a thing or two about customer service. He also possesses heavyweight advisers in the shape of Bechtel, the US engineering, construction and project management giant. He deserves to be taken seriously. Heathrow needs a competitor. Likewise, if neither the airport operator nor Arora is selected and the third runway is again kiboshed, then surely serious thought must be given to expanding rival airports. Heathrow has been resting on its laurels for too long. As for Starmer, he perhaps should ask himself how it is that someone who professes to be forensic legally is so capable of displaying rushes of blood to the head politically. Giving Heathrow such prominence smacks of impetuousness. He's done it and has been left with an almighty headache.
