Government to work with Phillips 66 to maximise jobs at Lindsey oil
Ed Miliband said the Phillips 66 bid was the most viable
The Government is determined to "maximise the number of jobs" that can be saved at the collapsed Lindsey oil refinery, the Energy Secretary has said.
Ed Miliband told the Commons that Phillips 66's successful bid for the North Killingholme site was the "most viable", despite Reform and Conservatives claiming production could have been continued at the site under rival offers.
Production at the Lindsey refinery in north Lincolnshire was stopped after its owner, the Prax Group, collapsed into insolvency in June.
Phillips 66, an American energy company, agreed to buy the refinery on Monday, but could not provide any commitments as to how much of the workforce will be retained once the sale is completed.
Addressing the Commons on Tuesday, Martin Vickers, Conservative MP for Brigg and Immingham, said other bids were submitted that would have continued production at the refinery, adding there were "many unanswered questions surrounding this deal".
Mr Miliband responded: "What happened at Lindsay - and we should be clear that the responsibility lies with the owner that ran that business into the ground - is tragic for the workers and their families, and I've talked to those workers.
"He will know that because of the process, we have the official receiver who looked for the best and most viable bid, there wasn't a viable bid to keep refining going in Lindsay.
"That's why P66 was chosen, and we are determined to work with them to maximise the number of jobs that it can deliver for the local community."
Reform UK deputy leader Richard Tice claimed the Government rejected a higher bid that would have "kept jobs" in favour of "mothballing the refinery".
Energy minister Michael Shanks insisted he was "quite wrong" with the highest viable bid accepted.
"Now P66 will take forward, in a sustainable way, the future of that site," he said.
The Insolvency Service said that around 250 staff employed at the refinery will have their jobs guaranteed until the end of March.
Phillips 66 said it had decided not to restart standalone refinery operations at the Lindsey site because it was not "viable in current form".
It will instead integrate key assets, including storage and other infrastructure, into the neighbouring Humber Refinery operations, which the company already owns.
Phillips 66 has about 1,000 employees at its UK subsidiary, and said the acquisition would support hundreds of jobs.