MPs have demanded that millions of pounds of government cash to deal with the Rover car crisis should include aid to areas like East Lancashire hit by the fall out.

The all party Commons Trade and Industry Party warned that the motor components industry would be hit hard by the job losses and reductions in operations at the firm's giant Longbridge plant in Birmingham.

And it warned that for every job lost in the West Midlands there would be several jobs lost in this field -- affecting hundreds of East Lancashire workers.

Major job losses in East Lancashire have already been announced after BMW's decision to get rid of Longbridge and other plants.

These include 450 at TRW, more than 100 at Viktor Achter in Burnley and 59 at Caligen Foam in Accrington and Oswaldtwistle. Many East Lancashire firms are involved in the car component industry -- making everything from carpets to wiring systems -- and supply Rover either directly or indirectly.

And with the local economy dominated by manufacturing it is feared that the area could be worse hit by the knock-on effects than many other parts of the country.

The committee recommends that the £129million of government cash for the Rover Taskforce should not be limited to the West Midlands but used to ease problems in the components industry.

Their comments follow a promise by Industry Minister Alan Johnson to Burnley MP Peter Pike that some of the money should be used to ease the problems in the East Lancashire components industry.

Mr Pike said: "It is right that this should happen and it underlines Alan Johnson's promise. This is absolutely crucial."