THE potential closure of a Wealdstone factory with the loss of 190 jobs has been raised in Parliament by the local MP.

Labour's Gareth Thomas (pictured), MP for Harrow West, spoke in the House of Commons about a proposal by ColArt Art and Graphics to shut its site in Whitefriars Drive and relocate production of Windsor and Newton art materials to a sister complex in Le Mans, France.

He cited it as an example of an investigation the BBC could run during a debate marking the summer adjournment that allows members to raise any issue they like.

He said afterwards: "The local shop stewards of Unite and a number of the staff met with me last week and they are understandably want to know why the move to France needs to happen at all, given that the company have apparently made clear the factory in Wealdstone is profitable.

"The key question is: if the company is set on rationalising its premises why is the France site at Le Mans being favoured over the UK site one given that according to the company’s own figures the UK site is more profitable?”

ColArt previously told the Observer the relocation was required because the company wanted to reduce its six worldwide sites to five and, unlike the French factory, the Wealdstone site, which opened in 1937, could not be expanded to absorb additional work from elsewhere.

The 90-day consultation with workers was announced on July 1 but the Unite union has vowed to fight the closure.

Harrow councillors have suggested to ColArt bosses a new factory could be built on the vacant Kodak site in Headstone Drive.