Press Release

18 July 2006

Paice To Lobby Minister Over Threat To Local Jobs

South East Cambridgeshire MP Jim Paice is due to meet Home Office Minister Vernon Coaker this evening in an attempt to save local jobs at Napp Pharmaceuticals, which employs 800 people on the city's Science Park.

Tough restrictions on the importation of opiates, a vital component in its products, are hampering the firm's work and Napp has warned that unless the Government relaxes the rules, it may have to switch some manufacturing facilities to a site elsewhere in Europe. 

Napp is only able to get supplies of the drugs from a single company in the UK but to carry out its business effectively, the company argues it should be allowed to source the drugs from a second firm, based in the US.

Mr Paice said: “I have urgently sought this meeting following the Government’s negative response to the reasons why Napp should be able to import certain opiates from its sister company in the US. 

“I shall take this opportunity to get across to the Minister the implications for a local business of the Government’s unreasonable stance, which may result in relocation to elsewhere in Europe and job losses in Cambridgeshire.”