The petition of residents of the constituency of Coventry South,
Notes that redundancy notices have been handed out to workers at Liberty Pressing Solutions in Coventry; further that this is happening during the cost-of-living crisis and will have a devastating impact on workers and their families; further that the redundancy offer made to workers is woefully inadequate; and further that Sanjeev Gupta, the owner of the Liberty Steel Group, has not done enough to protect jobs, prioritising profits over people.
The petitioners therefore request that the House of Commons urge the Government to do more to support skilled manufacturing jobs like those at Liberty Pressing Solutions, including through encouraging Liberty Steel Group to redouble efforts to find a buyer and, failing that, encouraging an improved redundancy offer to Liberty Pressing Solutions workers.
And the petitioners remain, etc.—[Presented by Zarah Sultana , Official Report, 20 July 2022; Vol. 718, c. 1074.]
[P002760]
Observations from The Minister of State, Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (Jackie Doyle-Price):
We acknowledge that the speculation surrounding Liberty will be worrying for employees and local communities. BEIS continues to closely monitor developments around Liberty, and we regularly engage closely with the companies, the broader UK steel industry and trade unions.
The Government regularly works with industry and local partners to provide support and investments to stimulate economic growth and support local businesses. Recent investments in Coventry which have supported the manufacturing industry include:
£1.9 million for the Made Smarter scheme which helps SMEs in the manufacturing and engineering sectors utilise new digital technology and equip them for the future.
£35 million towards providing the infrastructure to open up Whitley South technology park and support to expansion of JLR and the colocation of supply chain.
£1 million towards the Institute for Advanced Manufacturing and Engineering which supports businesses to expand capabilities, increase the scope and reach of teaching and skills development, and support engagement and Research and Development and Innovation activities.
£10 million for the Warwick Manufacturing Group Degree Apprenticeship Centre to increase capacity for higher level skills for existing employees in high growth, advanced manufacturing and engineering (AME) businesses in the area.
In addition, the UK Shared Prosperity Fund provides £2.6 billion of new funding for local investment by March 2025. This money will go straight to local places right across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland to invest in three local priorities: communities and place, support for local businesses and people and skills. The West Midlands Combined Authority is set to receive over £13.7 million over three years to support these activities.
The Government stand ready to support employees and their families affected by any developments. Anyone worried about redundancy should contact the DWP’s Rapid Response Service (RRS). The service is available to all people who are at risk of redundancy from the initial point of notification of potential redundancy from their employer. RRS is designed to support people into alternative employment at the earliest opportunity to prevent people becoming unemployed.