A NEW link has been established with the UK Government to try to rescue Greenock’s threatened Texas Instruments plant.

The company announced in January that they planned to close the facility over three years with the loss of 365 jobs.

Texas claim it is not ‘cost effective’, and want to absorb its work in Germany, Japan and America.

The task force set up in the wake of the announcement met yesterday for the first time since the Scottish Parliament elections to review the current position for the Larkfield site.

Chaired by Inverclyde Council leader Stephen McCabe, it is supported by the Scottish Government, national agencies and local and national political leaders.

The group heard that a new dedicated officer from the UK Government will join the group on behalf of the Scottish Secretary of State to ensure links between the two governments are fully established.

Cllr McCabe said: “It is important we keep the momentum going. While it is unusual to be in a position of having up to three years before the factory closes, it is crucial that all possible support is made available to the workforce and that they are fully aware of that.

“That has included one-to-one sessions, and also links into the council-run Business Gateway service, which helps provide support to individuals starting up.”

But Councillor McCabe warned: “It is clear that finding a buyer is going to be challenging. We will work together to support their efforts, while continuing the process of developing an economic impact assessment to examine the issues around a worst case scenario of the factory closing at the end of the period.”

He said he was delighted to welcome David Skilling from the Scotland office as Scottish Secretary David Mundell’s representative, and added: “This puts the two governments around the table, and shows how seriously this issue is being taken at a national level.”

The next meeting of the task force is expected to take place in the next month.