Car industry to focus on crisis

The region has seven of the UK's largest car component makers

Car industry bosses are meeting in Birmingham to discuss the manufacturing crisis that could affect up to 90,000 jobs in the region.

Representatives from about 70 car component making firms in the West Midlands are due to attend the city's Chamber of Commerce suppliers' forum.

Organisers said the aim was to get a regional snap shot of the problems in lending, production and job losses.

MPs are due to discuss the wider UK car making crisis in Parliament later.

Job losses

The event is being hosted by Accelerate - a business support agency for the automotive industry, Business Link West Midlands and the Manufacturing Advisory Service at Birmingham Chamber of Commerce.

It comes after component makers and car manufacturers met the Business Secretary Lord Mandelson last month to discuss fears over the future of the automotive industry in the region.

Accelerate estimates up to 90,000 jobs across the region could be affected by the automotive industry crisis. Seven of the biggest UK car component suppliers are based in the West Midlands region.

Last month Jaguar Land Rover announced 850 job losses at its plants in Castle Bromwich in Birmingham, and Solihull, and research and development centres in Whitley, Coventry, and Gaydon in Warwickshire.

Aston Martin also announced that 600 jobs would go at its plant in Gaydon.

'Firsthand insight'

Component suppliers, such as Barton Cold Form in Droitwich, in Worcestershire, said a reduction in orders was having a disastrous impact on their business.

Rachel Eade, from Accelerate said: "There is so much information flying around the shop floor and the factories it is difficult to gain a full picture of what is going on out there.

"This forum will provide a firsthand insight into exactly how companies are coping and, importantly, what we can do to help.

Richard Crooks, of Business Link in the West Midlands said: "The automotive sector is an integral part of our regional economy and we need to ensure that the skills we have built up over many years are not lost for the future."