Antonia Bance, the Labour MP for Tipton and Wednesbury and a member of The Business and Trade Committee, has expressed concern regarding the impact of a recent cyber attack on Jaguar Land Rover (JLR). She and other MPs have reached out to the business secretary to highlight the need for attention on the situation and its potential risk to jobs in the supply chain.
According to Bance, while JLR management has provided briefings to MPs, they have not specified the duration of the disruption caused by the cyber attack. She has been informed by supply-chain firms facing cash flow issues, leading to uncertainty about their ability to retain staff. Bance noted that several local plants have halted production and sent employees home, although most have continued to pay wages, creating financial strain for smaller businesses that could struggle to sustain this without a clear timeline for resolution.
To mitigate the impact on jobs, Bance suggested that government intervention, such as a furlough scheme or loan guarantees, would be beneficial for firms reliant on the automotive supply chain. She emphasized that the businesses affected were generally thriving and would have been prepared for increased production towards the holiday season if not for the cyber incident.
Additionally, Bance believes that Tata, the parent company of JLR, has a responsibility to ensure the resilience of the supply chain through financial support. She underscored the pride that the West Midlands community holds in its manufacturing capabilities and called for the government to consider steps that could preserve jobs and skills in the region. The actions taken in response to this incident may shape the industry’s future in the area.
Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/ce327e2rdw3o?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss