NW site included in government drive to ramp up production of face coverings

Masks made at the Welsh site

The Government today announced a drive to increase UK production of face coverings, including at a site in Blackburn.

Mandatory wearing of face coverings in shops and on transport starts later this week, meaning everyone entering retail spaces and transport will have to wear a covering of some kind or face fines.

Michael Gove, Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, announced the move to ramp up production today, which initially includes two sites, in Blackburn and Port Talbot in Wales, with a further site in Livingston, Scotland due to follow in the coming weeks, in cooperation with UK manufacturers.

Ten production lines have been procured, which include 34 tons of equipment and machinery, and a further 10 British production lines are being made with government support.

The production sites will ensure that public demand for face coverings does not impact on the supply of higher-grade face masks for NHS frontline staff.

Michael Gove said: “This is a major step to ensure that this country can meet any increase in demand for face coverings by working with British firms to establish the capability, capacity and skills required to manufacture these items at scale.

“These production lines will be able to get millions of face coverings to the public, without putting any additional pressure on NHS supply chains.”

He added: “It is fantastic to see companies in Lancashire, Neath Port Talbot and West Lothian coming together to provide face coverings for every corner of our United Kingdom.”

The Blackburn site is at Cookson & Clegg, which was founded in 1860.

The firm began as leather curriers and manufacturers of boot uppers. By the 1930’s it was producing jerkins, flying helmets and other leather products for the British Army.

Today it employs those same skills essential in the production of military grade clothing and applies them to the manufacturing of outerwear, in both traditional woven and modern technical fabrics, jeans and chino’s for many of the UK’s finest premium clothing brands.

Manufacturers will produce millions of masks each week.

This is the first time that face coverings are being made at such scale in the UK.

Orders for the coverings have already been placed by a number of public and private sector buyers and the Government is in discussions with a number of other retail companies on the purchasing of the items.

Additionally, the critical materials for the manufacture of these masks are sourced from UK manufacturers.

Government guidance to the public encourages the wearing of face coverings in enclosed public spaces, where it is less easy to socially distance, or where you are more likely to come into contact with people you do not normally meet.

It is mandatory to wear face coverings on public transport and from July 24, in England it will be mandatory to wear face coverings in shops and supermarkets.

Both disposable and reusable face coverings made from cloth are suitable to be worn in shops and public transport.

Different regulations exist for wearing face coverings in different parts of the UK.

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