§ Mr. Masonasked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what are the total aircraft export orders to the People's Republic of China; what prospects are in the offing; and to what extent joint production of airframes and aeroengines is now a possibility.
§ Mr. Michael HeseltineChina has so far ordered 18 Trident 2Es and 2 Trident 3Bs from Hawker Siddeley Aviation. A preliminary purchasing agreement has also been placed for 3 Concordes, 2 with Aerospatiale and one with the British Aircraft Corporation, and negotiations are continuing.
A number of other projects are currently under discussion between British aircraft and aero-engine manufacturers and the Chinese, and I very much hope that further orders will be secured.