Manufacturer joins first phase

PRODUCTION of face coverings has begun at a Port Talbot site as part of a £14m government investment in manufacturing millions of coverings each week, a minister has announced.

The Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, Michael Gove, said British Rototherm Group, whose head office is on the Kenfig Industrial Estate in Margam, and a supplier in Blackburn had started producing “high quality” face coverings, with another site in Livingston, Scotland, to begin in the coming weeks.

It is part of a Government drive to increase the production of face coverings in the UK, he added.

Face coverings become compulsory on public transport in Wales next week, and the UK Government has made it mandatory to wear masks in shops and supermarkets in England from July 24.

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

Mr 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.”

The Cabinet Office said the Government had bought 10 production lines, which include 34 tons of equipment and machinery, while a further 10 have been commissioned from Coventry-based automotive com