Airframe Industry

HC Deb 09 December 1970 vol 808 cc392-4

4. Mr. Carter

asked the Minister of Aviation Supply if he intends to maintain a British airframe industry.

Mr. Corfield

The expenditure by my Department in the British aircraft industry probably gives the most appropriate measure of the support that the industry is receiving from the Government. In the current year my Votes make provision for spending £335 million with the British aircraft industry; £247 million of this will be on defence supply contracts, and £88 million on civil projects, including Concorde.

Mr. Carter

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that that reply will do very little to mollify those in the industry who are very disturbed about their position, particularly after the announcements of last week, and that far from the industry being regarded as one of those science-based industries that were going to aid Britains entry into the Common Market, it appears that the Government are prepared to scrap it to get in and to produce co-operation within Europe, to the detriment of the British airframe industry?

Mr. Corfield

That is a quite erroneous impression. As far as I know, no Government have ever undertaken to maintain the British aircraft industry at any level irrespective of their judgment on the projects. On the matter of European cooperation, I have made it clear on several occasions that this was not a deciding factor although, looking to the future, we believe, as did our predecessors, that this is becoming a "must" in relation to all the European countries.

Mr. Scott-Hopkins

Does my right hon. Friend agree, first, that it is essential to maintain an airframe industry in this country, and, second, that our contribution to the M.R.C.A. is of vital importance not only to this country but to the future of European co-operation?

Mr. Corfield

I agree with both those propositions.

Mr. William Rodgers

Can the right hon. Gentleman say what trends in employment in the industry he anticipates? I know the difficulties in judging the precise consequences of the decision about the BAC311, but the right hon. Gentleman must have some idea of what the likely movement of employment will be.

Mr. Corfield

No, Sir. With respect to the hon. Gentleman, I think that it is too early to make that sort of assessment.

Mr. Tebbit

Can my right hon. Friend say whether it is his opinion that if he had announced support for the BAC311 he would have had to face another censure Motion, as he did when he announced support for Rolls-Royce?

Mr. Corfield

That is always a probability.