MP Pauline Latham has welcomed news Celanese is to retain a presence in Spondon – but said as much as possible must be done to help those who will lose their jobs.

Mid-Derbyshire MP Mrs Latham was reacting to the news that part of the company will stay in the UK when the remainder of work moves abroad.

Manufacturing of acetate flake and tow – used to make cigarette filters – will be moved overseas to plants in Belgium, the US and Mexico.

Celanese has been consulting with employees and unions since April when its parent company announced its intention to stop all manufacturing at the Spondon factory.

A Celanese spokesman said: "These consultations have not resulted in a demonstrated basis for viable continuing operations for acetate flake and tow facilities at the site.

"Celanese therefore intends to cease these manufacturing operations in the latter part of 2011."

The reasons for the closure are to make the company more competitive and to save money by moving production closer to growing markets for cigarettes.

The high price of energy in the UK was also cited as a factor in closing the factory.

A spokesman said: "Approximately 385 employees will be impacted by this decision, and the company has agreed with employee representatives on a package of severance and outplacement arrangements."

The decision to retain the Clariform business hinges on the company's belief that there is still a market for its products in the UK and abroad. It also feels that its film products have an edge over other products in the same category.

A Celanese spokesman said: "The company currently plans to retain its Clarifoil acetate film business at the Spondon site, subject to finalisation of operational improvement projects.

"The Clarifoil business produces diacetate films whose unique properties and innovation-led development programmes give it key differentiation over other plastic films.

"The business will employ approximately 70 people at the Spondon site."

Mrs Latham said although it was good news 70 jobs would remain, the loss of hundreds more was devastating.

She said: "Some of those people will have been at Celanese for a long time.

"We have to look at how many jobs there are around of the sort that they can do and whether they have the skills that employers require."

Celanese has been operating for nearly a century in Spondon and once employed 20,000 people.