ITV REDUNDANCIES IN LEEDS

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That this House notes with disappointment the announcement by ITV of 160 immediate redundancies at the ITV drama production studios in Kirkstall, Leeds; recognises that ITV is now abandoning a prime location, Yorkshire, for some of its major successful dramas, after nearly five decades of providing brilliant urban and rural backdrops, and sees a worrying shift to cheaply-produced reality TV as a short-term option which will lead to more viewers switching off; regrets the dismissal of highly-trained people with great engineering, electronic and media communication skills as back-up staff; believes that taking them out will reduce the creative industries' capacity in the region; and urges the Government to work with Yorkshire Forward, and the smaller filmmakers and producers in the region to ensure these people and their skills are not lost to Leeds.