Cllr Kevin Foster

Cllr Kevin Foster, Conservative Parliamentary Spokesman for Coventry South, has today (8th October 2009) welcomed the news that Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) has secured £500m of new funding that will help secure jobs in Coventry, but said that uncertainty over the future for workers at the Browns Lane site still leaves plenty of unanswered questions.

Last month JLR revealed long-term plans to merge the Castle Bromwich and Solihull plants in the middle of the next decade. The company also announced that it believes the future of its VMC (Wood Veneer) Plant at Browns Lane in Coventry lies outside the JLR Group. In addition, JLR is consulting staff on plans to close its final salary pension scheme to new members.

Earlier this year Kevin backed the campaign to Save Jaguar Land Rover due to the key role the company plays in Coventry's economy. He spent several weekends on the streets collecting signatures for a Petition to help Jaguar that was organised by a local newspaper.

Kevin, whose Council ward includes Jaguar's Whitley site, said: "I am pleased to hear that Jaguar Land Rover has secured this funding and it helps provide a secure future for thousands of Coventry workers at both Jaguar and its suppliers. I strongly supported the campaign run earlier this year because I was convinced that this was a company with long term potential that was threatened by a short term credit crunch. The latest news demonstrates this."

He added: "Whilst I welcome this news that will bring certainty to the future of the company, they now need to end the uncertainty faced by many of their workers, in particular those at the Browns Lane site. I believe Jaguar has a great future if it supports the city that has supported it this year and answer the questions that need to be asked about their future plans."