Aerospace Industry (Hansard, 13 October 1975)

§ 11. Mr. Tebbit
asked the Secretary of State for Industry if he has met representatives of the Society of British Aerospace Constructors during the recess.

§ The Under-Secretary of State for Industry (Mr. Gerald Kaufman)
My right hon. and noble Friend the Minister of State held a meeting with representatives of the society on 2nd September and my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State met the council on 24th September.

§ Mr. Tebbit
Were any of those gentlemen able to persuade the SBAC that the cancellation of British missile systems in favour of foreign competitors and the Government's failure to make any constructive comment to the EEC on the future of the British aerospace industry are good omens for the future of our industry under the possible management of this Government?

§ Mr. Kaufman
I cannot reveal the matters that were discussed when my right hon. Friend met the SBAC. The hon. Gentleman asks whether we were able to persuade the Society. We were able to persuade the electorate that the aircraft industry should be nationalised.

§ Mr. Lambie
Will my hon. Friend tell the House whether the representations received from the Society of British Aero-space Constructors included proposals about the future of Scottish Aviation Limited? Will he say when he will give his decision on the proposals that he has received from Scottish Aviation Limited on the future of the Jet-stream, to maintain the Scottish aerospace industry?

§ Mr. Kaufman
I shall refer to my right hon. Friend the point made by my hon. Friend, and we shall respond as soon as we can.

§ Mr. Jessel
What will the hon. Gentleman do to make the aerospace industry aware that its export prospects will greatly improve if it will get into the habit of manufacturing quieter aircraft?

§ Mr. Kaufman
If the hon. Gentleman is implying that Concorde is not a good export prospect he had better travel in 845 that plane with many distinguished foreign and Commonwealth statesmen and see how favourably they react to it.

§ Mr. Atkinson
Will my hon. Friend confirm that it is his intention to publish the Aircraft and Shipbuilding Bill some time in this coming December? If that is the case, will he invite the trade unions involved to submit their ideas for the inclusion of both Westland and Rolls-Royce in the future structure of the nationalised industry?

§ Mr. Kaufman
December is a good deal later than we intended. We intend to publish the Bill very soon, with the intention of getting the industry into public ownership as quickly as possible. We have been in regular contact with the trade unions and others about the form of the Bill and the future form of the industry.

§ Mr. Maxwell-Hyslop
On the Government's present plans, can the hon. Gentleman say how many people at the moment employed in the British aircraft industry expect to lose their jobs by this time next year?

§ Mr. Kaufman
It is difficult to speculate on how many would lose their jobs if we did not take the necessary and progressive step of putting the industry into public ownership.