Constructive talks over Boulby Potash Mine jobs.

Business Minister Andrew Griffiths MP has committed that a “priority” decision will be made by next Monday on whether remaining funds from the SSI Taskforce can be repurposed to support workers who lose their jobs at Cleveland Potash.

His announcement followed urgent talks this evening with Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland MP Simon Clarke at the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy.

Mr Clarke was accompanied by the Chief Executive of the SSI Taskforce, Amanda Skelton, and together they presented the formal request issued by the Taskforce on Friday. This has two key elements. The first ask is to allow workers at Boulby to benefit from the remaining £1.4 million in the Taskforce’s “flexible fund” (designed to support training) and £290,000 in the jobs support scheme. At the moment both are restricted to the former SSI and supply chain workforce.

The second ask is to ensure that the flexibilities that have been available to DWP and local colleges for training purposes are also available for Boulby workers. This includes the relaxation of the 16 hour rule, which normally limits the number of training hours for benefit claimants, as well as the ability to part-fund qualifications.

Last week, the SSI Taskforce published its Legacy Report detailing the great results that it has been able to help deliver for those who lost their jobs at the former SSI steelworks in 2015. Of the 2,185 SSI and other workers who made an initial claim for benefits, 2,166 have since ended that claim.

Simon Clarke MP said: “Tonight’s talks were very constructive and I’m extremely grateful to the Minister to have had the opportunity to present our case and likewise that he has committed that he will give us his decision within the week.

“Amanda and her whole team on the Taskforce delivered superb support to those affected by the SSI closure and I desperately hope they will get the chance to do so again for everyone at Boulby. I want to thank Amanda and her colleague Linda Edworthy for dropping everything and racing down for today’s talks.

“This all comes on top of the crucial contribution set to be made by the DWP’s rapid response team – I met them on Friday and they are hard at work preparing for a series of ‘town hall’ events at the mine, as well as the opening of their new one stop shop for advice and support in Skinningrove on 1 February. Securing ministerial sign-off to add Taskforce money to the support available would make for a very strong package indeed to help those caught up in this horrible situation.”