§ Mr. HoyleTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the employment and technology benefits are to Lancashire of the A400M project; and if he will make a statement. [135571]
§ Mr. IngramThe A400M Prime Contractor, Airbus Military, is free to select equipment through competition so that the programme is organised and managed as cost effectively as possible. It is therefore not known how many jobs or the degree of investment that might be generated in Lancashire.
However, Airbus UK have estimated that the A400M programme will directly create up to 2,500 high quality jobs in the United Kingdom—notably in design and advanced manufacture. They have calculated that indirect employment could bring that figure to over 8,000.