Ministers weigh support for firms hit by JLR cyber hack

Ministers are looking at ways to support businesses hit by the Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) cyber attack, which has halted production since August.

- KARL MATCHETT

The car manufacturer announced earlier this week that manufacturing would not resume until October at the earliest. JLR’s workers were told to stay at home shortly after the shutdown began, but there has been no firm resolution on support for its suppliers.

Unions have called for a Covid-style furlough operation for those in the supply chain, but this is not thought to be viable given the scale and the cost. Businesses are also reportedly unwilling to consider a government-backed loan, given the uncertainty they currently face.

Several other options the government is said to be considering include directly purchasing the parts JLR would normally buy from suppliers.

It is thought that JLR is the biggest or only customer of some of these companies, meaning that while the usual 1,000 or more cars a week are not being produced, their own operations are also shut down.

JLR operates a just-in-time model across its manufacturing plants, meaning it does not store huge quantities of parts or have a stockpile.