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Angry Fife MPs demand urgent probe into Remploy sell-offs

The Remploy factory in Leven.
The Remploy factory in Leven.

Fife MPS have demanded a National Audit Office investigation into the sale of the region’s Remploy factories.

Gordon Brown, Lindsay Roy and Thomas Docherty claim a probe is required because of irregularities in the bidding process for the sites at Leven and Cowdenbeath, which are now being stripped of their assets.

Equipment and designs are being sold off at rock-bottom prices, despite the marine textile business having a full order book.

Remploy in Fife produced 30,000 specialised life jackets a year.

Glasgow North East MP Willie Bain has already called for a similar inquiry into the sale of assets at Remploy Springburn.

The Fife MPs now plan to submit evidence to the National Audit Office, questioning whether the documentation governing the sale of the Leven and Cowdenbeath factories was accurate.

They claim there were irregularities in the sale process which resulted in a lack of bidders for the business, only bids for the assets.

They said in a statement: “One reason we cannot find a buyer is the stranglehold Remploy’s past patent agreements have placed on the options for any prospective buyer.

“Remploy had been hit hard because of a seven-year-old patent agreement which handed on half the intellectual property of the goods it was producing to its customer.

“We know that there was collaboration on designs but Remploy cannot be sold as an ongoing concern because of this.

“There may never have been a chance for anyone to buy the factories without having to negotiate with a third party, who may have had no intention of selling their share of the patent.”

All 65 Fife Remploy workers are set to lose their jobs on September 6.

The Fife MPs will tell the National Audit Office that one local company was ready to take over the factory but found out at the last minute a patent for the product they wanted to manufacture was part-owned by someone else.

Mr Brown, Mr Roy and Mr Docherty now fear that despite their efforts, they will not be able to attract a new bidder because of the sell-on by Remploy of patent rights.