Jaguar Land Rover: Redundancies Debate
Full Debate: Read Full DebateAyoub Khan
Main Page: Ayoub Khan (Independent - Birmingham Perry Barr)Department Debates - View all Ayoub Khan's debates with the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade
(1 month, 3 weeks ago)
Commons Chamber
Ayoub Khan (Birmingham Perry Barr) (Ind)
Learning of these potential job losses was deeply concerning for me as a Member of Parliament for Birmingham, because job losses impact not just individuals and their immediate family, but local economies. The regional mayor has set aside half a million pounds, but that is not new money; it is money that he had for other projects. Will the Minister specifically state what funding this Government will provide to the local mayor and the local councils—and I am not talking about the £1.5 billion loan?
Blair McDougall
As I said to other hon. Members, throughout the conversations that we have been having with people in the region, including the mayor and the company, the ask has been that we stand behind the wider sector and supply chain and make sure that things are available in the future. The hon. Gentleman mentioned skills; he will be aware that the changes that we have made—such as the move to shorter, more flexible apprenticeships—are very focused on the automotive industry, so we are already putting significant amounts of funding into advanced manufacturing in the hon. Gentleman’s part of the world and will continue to do so. We stand ready to work with people in the region to maintain skills and manufacturing there, whatever it takes.