House of Commons envelopes to be made abroad

The manufacture of House of Commons envelopes is to be outsourced abroad. 

Diamond Envelopes supplied French firm Arjowiggins with envelopes that included House of Commons envelopes but the contract between the two plants had now been terminated, said Liberal Democrat Malcolm Bruce, who has pledged to take up the case.

Arjowiggins is expected to transfer the contract overseas.

Bosses at Diamond Envelopes, which employs 53 people, fear cutbacks or even closure.

"I visited the factory last week and saw the House of Commons envelopes in production," said Mr Bruce.

"Without this contract or a comparable replacement, the German owners of this factory, Mayer-Kuvert, has concluded that the plant is no longer viable.

"A 30-day consultation with the workforce about closure proposals has been initiated," he said.

The MP said he understood Arjowiggins was transferring the contract to overseas plants within the group.

"I have written to Arjowiggins to ask whether they are prepared to continue keeping the manufacture of House of Commons envelopes in the UK, and also to Mayer-Kuvert to ask if they would be in a position to bid for a new contract or move production to other high-quality envelopes," he said.

"It will be embarrassing for British MPs to be sending out letters in envelopes manufactured outside the UK so I will also be contacting the House of Commons authorities to see whether they will wish to explore the potential for a future supply from a UK manufacturer," he said.

Raymond Gordon, production director at Diamond Envelopes, said the firm had told unions closure was a "distinct possibility".

"We are desperately looking for a way forward," he said.

"I think it would be absolutely tragic if it closed - we have the skills in Aberdeen, and have had the skills since 1770."

He said envelopes for the House of Commons formed part of a wider contract for Conqueror envelopes which had been terminated on cost and other grounds.

"I think it's tragic there is a possibility that manufacturing of these envelopes could go abroad when we have the skills," he said.

"We have other customers, but the Conqueror contract is possibly the final nail in the coffin, with energy costs and transport costs going up.

"We have already reduced down to six machines - a year and a half ago, we had 12."

No one was available for immediate comment at the Arjowiggins plant.

So we can't even make envelopes here in the UK anymore. Only under Labour would this be allowed to happen, when an MP now writes to someone they will be sending money abroad. 

I think that we will get some urgent dithering from one James Gordon Brown regards this.

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