A RESCUE package is being drawn up in a bid to keep open Bolton’s Remploy site.

The electronics factory, in Manchester Road, which employs 42 disabled people, is due to close after the Government announced last month that it was axing subsidies for 36 of Remploy’s 54 sites.

But hopes of staving off closure were given a boost following talks with a Government minister.

A delegation led by Bolton South East MP, Yasmin Qureshi met Minister for the Disabled Maria Miller at Westminster last Wednesday for talks.

Representatives from Macclesfield-based Oerlikon Fibrevision Ltd and the Big Life Group, the social enterprise firm behind The Big Issue In the North magazine, explained their proposals for the Manchester Road site.

Experts from the Department of work and Pensions also gave advice on putting forward a successful rescue package.

Mrs Millar said she was very pleased that a proposal had been made for the Bolton site and pledged to ensure that information would be made available by the Remploy board to be used in the bid.

Ms Qureshi said yesterday: “It was encouraging that the minister responded positively to the ideas put forward to save the Bolton factory.

“Her department has pledged to give their support through the process of putting together a workable proposal. This will help to facilitate the production an initial expression of interest and then a full business plan.

“I’m hopeful that we can work together to find a way to save jobs at Remploy.”

The Remploy board and the Department for Work and Pensions are currently consulting on the proposed closure of 36 Remploy factories across the country.

Any interested parties have until the end of April to submit expressions of interest in acquiring, in whole or in part, factories affected by the closures.

Successful applicants will then be invited to submit full business plans by early June. These will be evaluated and a decision on acceptance of offers made by late June.

Remploy worker Bill Hardman, aged 58, of Little Lever, has been at the factory for 32 years where he is also a trade union representative.

He said: “I still hope everything will turn out OK for the workers. We’ve been fighting to save Remploy for years, going back to 2006, when previous rounds of job losses were announced.

“We’re now at the point where a government no longer wants to be involved with Remploy. We will still fight for jobs and there should be no redundancies at all. But we’re open minded and will consider all avenues and help from anybody. We’re all still working our normal shifts. There’s plenty to do. Yasmin Qureshi has worked really hard for us and we can’t thank her enough.”