Caretaker prime minister Jan Peter Balkenende intends to telephone Merck & Co, the owners of the pharmaceutical company MSD in the Dutch town of Oss. Maria van der Hoeven, caretaker minister of Economic Affairs made the announcement during a debate in parliament on Wednesday.

The parliament was recalled from its summer recess in the wake of the news that MSD intends to scrap 2175 of the 4500 jobs at its plant in Oss. The company's research and development department will be closed down and moved to the United States. The drugs producer - which is known locally as Organon and which developed the oral contraceptive drug Lyndiol in 1962 - became part of the international Merck & Co concern in 2007.

Science park
Ms Van der Hoeven emphasised that the reorganisation of the Oss plant is a fact and the result of a company decision, something the Dutch government does not, in principle, interfere in. She said Mr Balkenende's call would concern itself with the construction of a science park in Oss, to offer employment to some of those about to lose their jobs, as well as retain a portion of the pharmaceutical research knowledge in the area.

The minister said she had spoken to Merck & Co head Richard Clark on Tuesday and that he supported the plans for a science park. She added that Mr Clark had promised to contribute expertise as well as money.

Innovation funds
The size of the financial contribution, she said, would become clear when more is known about the purpose of the park, for which a good plan must be made available by the end of 2010. At that time the government would also make clear how much money it could invest in the project from innovation funds.

"Renewed protectionism"
A majority of MPs in the VVD, Christian Democrat, Labour and Freedom parties demanded that measures be taken to prevent more foreign companies taking jobs and knowledge out of the Netherlands. VVD MP Afke Schaart warned of a "renewed protectionism" arising out of the economic crisis, whereby foreign companies buy up good businesses in the Netherlands so they can transfer production to their own countries.

Reasonably satisfied
MSD employees and unions said they were reasonably satisfied after the debate. Iris van Dinther, chairwoman of the central employee council and union leader Jaap Jongejan said they were especially happy that politicians were paying so much attention to the issue.