HC Deb 14 July 1987 vol 119 cc958-60
2. Mr. Jack

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the progress of the European fighter aircraft project.

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Defence Procurement (Mr. Tim Sainsbury)

The project definition phase for the European fighter aircraft ended last September. The four nations are currently assessing the outcome of this phase before deciding whether to proceed to full development. We expect to be in a position to take our decision in the autumn.

Mr. Jack

I thank my hon. Friend for his reply, because Fylde houses the headquarters of the British Aerospace military aircraft division and it has no doubt about the benefits of the European fighter aircraft programme. Will my hon. Friend confirm that he is eager to see British firms participating in the European fighter aircraft programme? And, to that end, will he be holding discussions with Rolls-Royce, British Aerospace and the three NATO countries that are participating in the project?

Mr. Sainsbury

I am sure that my hon. Friend—as was his predecessor—and his neighbour, my hon. Friend the Member for South Ribble (Mr. Atkins), will be energetic spokesmen for their constituencies' interests. I can assure my hon. Friend that the Government are planning on the basis of the United Kingdom playing a full part in the EFA programme. Discussions with our NATO Allies and the principal contractors continue, particularly through the forum of the international programme office.

Mr. Cryer

Will the European fighter aircraft be a better aircraft than the Jaguar or the Tornado, 49 of which have been lost since 1979 at a cost of about £430 million? Will the Minister tell us why we need these sophisticated aircraft when one can fly to Red Square in a single-engined Cessna?

Mr. Sainsbury

The hon. Gentleman will find that the aircraft to which he refers are highly thought of, and our success in selling the Tornado overseas is testimony to the effectiveness of that aircraft.

Mr. Stern

I congratulate my hon. Friend on his new post. Did he notice during the recent election campaign how the only substitute that the principal Opposition party could find for its defence policy was to talk down EFA at every opportunity? That was especially the Labour party's policy in constituencies such as mine where parts of the aircraft are being built. Will my hon. Friend confirm, not only that an existing engine—the RB 199—has been chosen as the pre-production engine, but that the Government have the faith in the EFA that the Opposition are determined to try to destroy at every opportunity?

Mr. Sainsbury

I thank my hon. Friend for his kind remarks. It is regrettable that, all too often, Opposition Members seem to find satisfaction in criticising British products, in defence or other areas. The Government are determined that British firms will play a full part in the project. We believe that, both in engines and other parts, we have some excellent products to contribute to the EFA programme.

Mr. McNamara

I welcome the Minister to the Dispatch Box and say that we think that his is a good appointment, so far as the Prime Minister's appointments go.

The hon. Gentleman will be aware that, far from running down the EFA, the Opposition said that it was going to be a possible casualty because of the Government's foolishness in pursuing the Trident programme. How firm is the RAF's commitment to the EFA?

Mr. Sainsbury

I thank the hon. Gentleman for his somewhat barbed compliments. He has a novel way of putting these things.

The Government's commitment to the EFA project, which, as I said, obviously reflects the commitment of the services, is very strong indeed. It is surprising that the hon. Gentleman should think that the project might be a casualty of the Trident programme. He should recall that the Tornado programme was a larger part of the total defence procurement programme than Trident is or is likely to be.

Mr. Wilkinson

Will my hon. Friend confirm that the European fighter aircraft is in the long-term costings? Although there has been no decision on the development of the aircraft as yet, will he give some indication of the numbers that he would expect to come into the front line were an order to go ahead for the development phase?

Mr. Sainsbury

I can confirm that the European fighter aircraft is in the long-term costings. Obviously, it is too early to forecast with certainty the eventual size of a United Kingdom purchase. However, the work-sharing agreement for development is based on our declared requirement for 250 aircraft.