By Steven Bell and Laurie Watson

DUNDEE’S RAPID response group secured £1.5million of Government cash yesterday as the campaign to recover from the devastation of 650 job losses at the city’s NCR factory began in earnest.

The Rev Erik Cramb, chairman of the group, emerged from a meeting at Holyrood, where he presented deputy first minister Nicol Stephen with a 28-page action plan, having achieved the group’s first objective by securing the significant sum of money.

The £1.5million is available immediately, with the rapid response group primed to begin a complex consultation process with the 650 individuals facing redundancy.

The rapid response team would set up a support office at NCR’s Wester Gourdie factory and meet affected staff as quickly as possible.

Mr Cramb said Scottish Enterprise representatives would sit down with each member of NCR staff to discuss the availability of new job opportunities, retraining or even starting up their own business.

“This is just the first stage in our plan and is designed to help the 650 workers get back into work. We have long-term aims for Dundee’s economy including ambitious plans to further develop growth areas in our local economy, in medical science and electronic imaging as well as new ventures in marine and green energy,” he said. “We will be looking to the Scottish Executive to help fund building and infrastructure projects to help relocate civil service jobs to Dundee, develop our financial sector and release development potential in the docks. This investment will run into tens of millions and is the level of support that we currently need in Dundee.”

Mr Stephen told The Courier last night he was impressed with the rapid response group’s action plan.

He continued, “I was very pleased to confirm £1.5million of funding has been made available. This gets us to a stage of setting up a support office in the NCR building where we can start to help the 650 people affected to get advice and help on getting back into work.

“Helping those 650 individuals find new job opportunities, retrain or start businesses for themselves has to be the first priority. The second stage requires us to find out more information on the impact for supply companies and contractors who will obviously be affected by the NCR decision.

“The third stage is a longer- term strategy, which involves further developing growth areas in Dundee, such as life sciences and technology.”

During the rapid response group’s meeting yesterday, Mr Stephen told the group there was the prospect of civil service jobs coming to Dundee, a matter which he promised to take up with the finance ministers.

Mr Stephen confirmed he was hopeful such positions could come to Dundee and stressed he would highlight how urgent the situation was to ministers.

He added, “Because of the high scale of job losses at NCR ministers will take these issues very seriously.

“It’s the policy of the Executive to move civil service jobs away from Edinburgh and the current situation in Dundee means that it should be taken into consideration should these jobs arise.”

Acting chief executive of the newly-formed Dundee and Angus Chamber of Commerce, Harry Wills, welcomed the funding announcement.

The businessman said, “Anything that helps improve the situation in Dundee has got to be useful and a good thing for the community.”

The chamber has drawn up its own CREDO (Career Resumption through Education, Dedication and Organisation) programme in response to the worsening job situation in the city.

Mr Wills said he had spoken to Mr Cramb about the project, and expressed hope that the chamber would be able to provide assistance.

It is predicted that the total jobs blow to Dundee and the surrounding area from the manufacturing cuts at NCR could be more than 1400.

In addition to the NCR cuts, 595 jobs in companies that supply the US-owned manufacturer may well be lost. The financial fall-out from these lost pay packets is expected to see another 161 jobs go in the retail and leisure sectors.