Hood Debate

Local MPs Michael Ancram and Andrew Murrison slammed the Home Office and the Police in a House of Commons debate over failure to honour the Office of Government Contracting's Emergency Hood Contract with Avon Rubber at Melksham.

"Jobs have been lost and confidence destroyed because of the Home Office's failure to bang heads together", said Melksham MP, Michael Ancram. " Avon Rubber won an international tender for Emergency Hoods for every policeman in 2006," said Ancram, "but instead of calling off 140,000 hoods, UK police forces have so far called off 21,000! The Avon Rubber Company invested £2.2million in setting up a production facility as stipulated in the Contract. This has now been closed down and the workers made redundant."

"We are in the ridiculous position that every ambulance has an Emergency Hood and the large majority of policemen do not. What would happen if for example, there was a major Chemical, Biological, Radiological or Nuclear incident in the underground or an attack at the Olympic Games. Emergency hoods which form the frontline of protection for the police in the event of such an attack are just not available. It is a shocking state of affairs and Minister Tony McNulty's refusal to bring pressure to bear, is another choice example of Governmental dithering and indecision," Mr. Ancram concluded.

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NOTES TO EDITORS:

Avon Rubber p.l.c. is an international polymer engineering group adding value through material, manufacturing and industry sector expertise. The Group is currently capitalised at approximately £30.7 million.