§ 7. Mr. Barry Jones (Alyn and Deeside)If he will make a statement on the prospects for the aerospace industry in Wales, with particular reference to Raytheon Systems and BAE Systems in Deeside. [126699]
§ The Secretary of State for Wales (Mr. Paul Murphy)I am in frequent contact with the First Secretary on a range of issues and we discuss many aspects of industry in Wales. This has included the BAE facility at Broughton. I have also visited both companies with my right hon. Friend the Member for Alyn and Deeside (Mr. Jones).
I was pleased to hear that orders for more than 50 A3XX Airbus planes have been received. I also welcome the announcement by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence that the UK will be placing an order for 25 A400M aircraft and that the Ministry of Defence intends to buy more of the advanced medium range air-to-air missiles, produced by Raytheon, to equip Eurofighter when it comes into service.
§ Mr. JonesI am grateful to my right hon. Friend. He might agree that the Airbus factory is a jewel in the crown of Welsh manufacturing. I have to tell him, however, of the growing anger and perplexity at the grudging attitude in Cardiff with regard to the company's application for a £25 million grant. Does he agree that nowhere else in Europe would he find a national assembly that was not prepared to follow the national Government's vote of confidence by granting such moneys—certainly not in a German lander or a French département. Does he also agree that Lord Rogers's glass seagull perch cost in excess of the grant for which we are asking? We should very much like my right hon. Friend to intervene to ensure that the grant is paid, to show us that we are on the Cardiff agenda.
§ Mr. MurphyI know that my right hon. Friend battles hard for his constituents and for that important facility. He is right to point out, of course, that the UK Government gave £530 million in launch investment by way of loan to BAE. I shall ensure that his points are relayed to the First Secretary.
§ Mr. Owen Paterson (North Shropshire)How will the moves by British Aerospace to link up with Boeing affect the Welsh aerospace industry?
§ Mr. MurphyObviously, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry takes a keen interest in that matter. As the hon. Gentleman is a member of the Select Committee on Welsh Affairs, he will be aware of the importance of the industry and of that facility to all the people in the north-east and, indeed, to his own constituents. I know that he supports the UK Government in doing all that we can to ensure that the facility is enlarged.