Jaguar Land Rover receives lifeline after major cyber attack as Labour makes production restart 'top priority'

The Department for Business and Trade stated that discussions included the impacts of the cyber incident and how JLR can work towards restarting production.

Ministers are also receiving in-person briefings on the current situation. During the meeting, they toured JLR's Gaydon headquarters in Warwickshire.

Prior to the meeting with the Government officials, Jaguar Land Rover released a statement announcing that it had extended the production shutdown until Wednesday, October 1.

After speaking with colleagues, suppliers and partners, JLR confirmed that it wanted to "give clarity" to its supply chain partners following the cyber attack.

JLR is currently "building the timeline" for the phased restart of its operations and production as the investigation into the hack continues.

The automaker, which is headquartered in Coventry, said it was working around the clock alongside cybersecurity specialists, the National Cyber Security Centre and law enforcement.

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The statement continued: "Our focus remains on supporting our customers, suppliers, colleagues, and our retailers, who remain open.

"We fully recognise this is a difficult time for all connected with JLR and we thank everyone for their continued support and patience."

During the tour of the factory, Mr Kyle, who represents Hove and Portslade, and Stockton North's Mr McDonald acknowledged the severity of the JLR cyber attack.

Business and Trade Secretary Peter Kyle said the situation had caused a "deeply worrying time" for JLR, its supply chain and all impacted workers.

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He added: "Getting JLR back online as soon as possible is my top priority, providing much-needed certainty to workers and suppliers.

"This Government is on the side of our world-leading automotive sector and by working closely with JLR and the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), we are doing everything we can to minimise the impact of this incident, as well as helping the sector thrive long into the future through our modern Industrial Strategy."

Last week, the SMMT held an "extraordinary meeting" of its Automotive Components Section, which was attended by officials from the Government's DBT.

The SMMT said the meeting allowed industry representatives to hear directly from suppliers about the concerns they have in the aftermath of the cyber attack.

After visiting JLR's headquarters, the two Labour MPs also visited the Sutton Coldfield site belonging to Webasto, who make glass roofs for the automotive manufacturer.

The British company has been forced to halt its factory operations since Jaguar Land Rover is unable to continue with its regular production schedule.

Ministers have also been meeting with representatives from businesses, trade unions, trade associations and local authorities to hear of the impact of the cyber attack.

The Department for Business and Trade also emphasised the work of the National Cyber Security Centre and its "tireless" work in helping to coordinate the response to the incident.