HC Deb 13 January 1986 vol 89 cc451-2W
Mr. Austin Mitchell

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what proportion of the Airbus is produced in the United Kingdom.

Mr. Austin Mitchell

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether the Government will make it its policy to guarantee Westland shareholders against losses incurred if the Sikorsky-Fiat bid is rejected in favour of that of the European consortium.

Mr. Brittan

No.

Mr. Austin Mitchell

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) whether, in considering the future of Westland, the Government had regard to the profitability of the companies which want to acquire its shares; and if he will publish in the Official Report the return on capital employed for each of the past five years of Westland and the other firms in question;

(2).whether, in considering the Westland case, the Government had regard to previous examples of collaboration with European firms in the aircraft field;

(3) whether he will publish in the Official Report the numbers employed in the aircraft industry in the United Kingdom, France, Germany and Italy, respectively, in 1970, 1979 and at the latest available date.

Mr. Brittan

The Government have always made it clear that it is for Westland, as a private sector company, to decide the best route to follow to secure its future and that of its employees.

The information requested about numbers employed in the aircraft industry is as follows:

Mr. Pattie

The United Kingdom content of the Airbus A300–600 and A310 programmes, as a proportion of the total aircraft, including airframe, engines and equipment, was initially about 12 per cent. for both the General Electric and the Pratt and Whitney engined versions of these aircraft. As a result of the collaborative agreement between General Electric of the United States and Rolls-Royce on the manufacture of the GE CF6–80C2 engines, the United Kingdom content of Airbus A300–600 and A310 aircraft equipped with these engines has now risen to about 16 per cent.

On figures currently available, the United Kingdom content of the Airbus A320 will be in the order of 16 per cent. for the CFM engined version and of 26 per cent. for the V2500 engined version.