Grangemouth Oil Refinery Closure: Job Losses

Lord Kirkhope of Harrogate Excerpts

Thursday 3rd July 2025 Lords Chamber

[Lord Wilson of Sedgefield (Lab)]

I thank the noble Baroness for that question. First, the problem with Prax was that it was a badly run company. If I have one message for it, it is to put its hands deep into its pockets and think about the 400-odd workers who have lost their jobs there. Secondly, we are investigating how that company was run. As far as the industry is concerned, as I said earlier, if we look just across the road, at Phillips 66, we see that that is a well-run oil refinery that is thinking about the future and looking at sustainable fuels. That is the future of the industry. We are looking at Project Willow, which is active in Grangemouth, to see whether we can utilise that in Lincolnshire as well, and at what kind of training package we can get together for the workers there. We are looking at this, and it is very important that we do, but the reason why Prax is in the position that it is in is that it was badly run.

[Lord Kirkhope of Harrogate (Con)]

My Lords, there is a certain irony in all this and in discussing net zero, because next door to the Grangemouth oil refinery is the Alexander Dennis bus company, which produces some of the finest electric buses in this country. The danger there is that a great number of jobs are apparently going to be lost at that facility. Has the Minister anything to say regarding those jobs?

[Lord Wilson of Sedgefield (Lab)]

All jobs are important, and I will write to the noble Lord on exactly what we are doing about that. Our vision for the future is that it is sustainable and that we utilise EVs more than we are currently. There is a future in all this, and I am sure that we will do everything we can to ensure that those jobs are sustainable.