HC Deb 20 January 1971 vol 809 cc1051-2
23. Mr. William Rodgers

asked the Minister of Aviation Supply how many redundancies have now been notified to him arising from the decision not to proceed with the BAC311; and what estimate is available of further reductions in employment in the aircraft industry during 1971.

Mr. Corfield

B.A.C. has informed me of 870 redundancies following the decision not to proceed with the BAC311. It is not for me to anticipate the decisions of individual companies or to make my own forecasts of the level of employment, but I can say that I have received no indications from industry to suggest that there will be any major redundancies beyond those already announced during the rest of the year on present project expectations.

Mr. Rodgers

Bearing in mind the figures given the other day by Hawker-Siddeley, giving an estimate of expected redundancies of from 2,000 to 2,500 by next summer, and also the right hon. Gentleman's reply today to Question No. 3, does not he consider it the Government's duty to place before the House a clear statement of the shape of the aircraft industry as they see it now?

Mr. Corfield

I do not think that anything would be gained by that at the moment. Perhaps later it might be possible.

Mr. Adley

If my right hon. Friend accedes to this request to publish a paper on the aircraft industry, particularly the BAC311, will he do his best to stress the part which the Rolls-Royce situation has played in setting the present atmosphere, which has resulted in the Government feeling themselves unable to go ahead with the 311, a decision which many of us feel is disastrous for the British aircraft industry?

Mr. Corfield

I am grateful to my hon. Friend for his comments, but they refer to a hypothetical situation.

Mr. Walter Johnson

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that redundancies are gathering pace in the aircraft industry and that this is very worrying to those who work in it and is having the effect that highly skilled personnel are leaving? It is very difficult to recruit the right type of people to an industry when such redundancies are taking place.

Mr. Corfield

I appreciate all those factors, and we take them seriously into account. But the question of overcapacity in the aircraft industry is not confined to the United Kingdom or to Europe but extends to America as well.