REDDITCH MP Chris Bloore has urged the Government to establish a formal national framework for financial intervention following major cyberattacks, warning that the current ad-hoc approach risks leaving local businesses and workers exposed.
The call follows the 2025 cyberattack on Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) by the ‘Scattered Lapsus Hunters’ group, which forced a five-week production shutdown and cost the UK economy an estimated £1.9billion.
While the Government intervened with a £1.5billion loan guarantee to protect 154,000 jobs, experts have criticised the lack of a pre-existing strategy for such crises.
In a series of Parliamentary Questions to the Treasury, Cabinet Office, and Department for Business and Trade, Mr Bloore pressed Ministers for ‘clear criteria’ to ensure value for money and protect the network of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) that underpin the automotive supply chain in the West Midlands.
He said: “The cyberattack on Jaguar Land Rover wasn’t just a blow to one company – it sent shockwaves through Redditch.
“When production stops, local suppliers and workers bear the brunt. While the Government’s intervention saved jobs, we cannot afford to react to each crisis as it arises. We need a Cyber Resilience Framework that gives businesses certainty before disaster strikes.”
The Government’s responses revealed that while the Cyber Security and Resilience Bill aims to strengthen national defences, there are “no plans” to introduce a pooled cyber-risk insurance scheme or a formal framework for financial support. Instead, interventions remain assessed on a case-by-case basis.
The MP is also championing the needs of smaller firms in Redditch, which may not qualify for the same level of support as major manufacturers.
He is pushing for mandatory resilience standards for strategically important suppliers to prevent a single breach from collapsing local supply chains.
He added: “Security experts are clear: we need a framework, not just a reaction. I’m calling for resilience standards that ensure a breach at the top doesn’t devastate the local firms that keep our economy moving. Workers deserve to know their jobs aren’t one hack away from vanishing without a plan.”
The MP’s intervention follows warnings from Ciaran Martin, former head of the National Cyber Security Centre, who argued that intervening without clear criteria leaves the UK economy “no wiser” on handling future incidents.
Mr Bloore said: “We cannot wait for the next crisis to act. By establishing a clear framework now, we can protect jobs, support businesses and ensure taxpayers get value for money.”
