North Thanet`s MP, Roger Gale, has expressed great dismay following today`s (Tuesday 1st February) announcement that Pfizer are to close the Sandwich based R&D facility.
 
Speaking from the House of Commons the MP said:
 
“Laura Sandys, as the Member of Parliament for South Thanet, is taking the lead on this issue is the plant is in her constituency but I, of course, have many constituents who are currently employed at Pfizer and I shall be giving Laura my fullest support.
 
We are in close contact with relevant Ministers and a steering group is being established to take the Sandwich site forward as an ongoing research facility that may, perhaps, cluster a number of small companies in place of the multi-national.
 
We regard this enterprise as vital to the future of East Kent.
 
Pfizer have made it plain that this is not about transferring jobs. Faced with a multi-million reduction in their R&D budget cuts are being implemented not only in the UK bit in Germany, the USA and Canada as the pharmaceutical industry faces the reality that it is investing more and more in hard cash for less return.”

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