10 DOWNING STREET
OONDON SWIA 280 atts
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Twas most grateful to receive your kind letter of 19 March.
[have indeed maintained a close personal interest in developments at
Aycliffe and have been enormously encouraged by your company’s unreserved
and wholehearted commitment to the work of the Response Group. I share your
views on the excellence of Kingsley Smith’s leadership and I am most grateful
that he has been able to rely upon the fullest possible co-operation from Fujitsu in
every respect.
The fate of your former employees was of particular concern fo me. i
very much appreciated the speed and effectiveness with which they have been
resettled. I am pleased that Government and regional agencies were able to play
their part, and my congratulations go to you and your colleagues involved in this
excellent achievement.
Meanwhile, however, it was also important that every possible opportunity
1 to find a buyer for the plant who could make use of
should be explored in orde
the existing skills base. Tam extremely appreciative of your company’s wide-
ranging endeavour to find such a purchaser and willingness to go to great lengths
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to conclude a deal. We share your regret that difficult market conditions did not
permit a successful outcome.
You will continue to have our support for Response Group and marketing
activities and 1 will continue to follow progress.
The Aycliffe closure was a major setback for all concerned, but I assure.
you that my colleagues and I place great value on Fujitsu’s deep and long-
standing commitment to the United Kingdom. Your contribution to the
competitiveness of our telecommunications and IT industries has been
outstanding, and I wish you every success for the future.
Mr T Sekizawa