The leader of the Council Ian Ward and The Cabinet Member for Jobs and Skills Brett O’Reilly have written to The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions Esther McVey MP, calling for her support in coordinating help for people affected in the liquidation of Carillion on Monday.
The main concerns raised in letter were,
- Carillion is a partner with the major Paradise development, a regeneration project that is pivotal to the structure of Birmingham city centre.
- The company is also a major contractor for HS2 and this project has a major role to play in the future of Birmingham economy for jobs and training opportunities.
- Carillion is also a partner in providing apprenticeships and contributing factor in the reduction of youth unemployment across the city.
Councillor Ian Ward said:
“The primary concern is of course the workforce and supply chain, but Carillion was a key player in a number of major regeneration projects across Birmingham and the West Midlands and we need urgent reassurance that the delivery of those projects will not be affected.”
Councillor Brett O’Reilly added:
“The city council has experience in effectively addressing similar issues, such as the collapse of MG Rover, through a task force approach, but we need to have greater knowledge of what is going on and to have the co-operation of public sector partners. So we’ve asked the government for support in co-ordinating a response to mitigate the impact on individuals and the local economy.”
The copy of the original letter can be seen here.
