§ Mr. Nicholas WintertonTo ask the President of the Board of Trade what steps her Department has taken to ensure the future technology base of the UK aerospace industry. [48195]
§ Mr. BattleMy Department has undertaken a wide range of activities to ensure the future technology base of the UK aerospace industry, ranging from financial support for research, product development and manufacturing technology, to the work of officials to organise a cost-effective national infrastructure for technology development. We spent £24.6 million in the year to 31 March 1998 in support of civil aeronautics research activities in the industry and at the Defence Evaluation and Research Agency, including £1.7 million to complete the establishment of a major new European testing facility. In November 1997 and February 1998, we announced long-term investments of up to £323 million in total to Rolls-Royce and British Aerospace for product development. We are also providing financial support for programmes such as the Society of British Aerospace Companies "Competitiveness Challenge", a major part of which is aimed at improving manufacturing technology throughout the supply chain. Officials in my Department have actively encouraged and facilitated UK participation in the aeronautics research activities of the European Union Framework Programme and these efforts have been rewarded with high levels of UK participation. Officials are also heavily involved in the work of the Defence and Aerospace Foresight initiative. Under these auspices they have established improved national consultative arrangements for research in aerodynamics and in materials and are now working to create novel research partnerships between the industry and the universities.