§ Mr. HancockTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the UK-based companies with potential to benefit from contracts if the Airbus Military Company's A400M proposals are accepted by his Department; and if he will estimate how many jobs the project would create in the United Kingdom. [104420]
§ Dr. MoonieBAE Systems, as one of the Airbus partners, would expect to play a significant role in the A400M programme if the Government were to select this aircraft as a solution to the RAF's Future Transport Aircraft (FTA) requirement. Beyond that, there is potentially large scope for UK aerospace suppliers to participate in the A400M programme. However, it would not be possible for me to list specific companies at this stage as the selection of suppliers would be properly a matter for the commercial judgment of Airbus Military (as Prime Contractor) during the aircraft development programme.
We are taking account of employment forecasts for competing options for the FTA requirement. As the Minister for Competitiveness advised the hon. Gentleman, Official Report, 15 December 1999, column 208W, the FTA competition is as yet undecided and it would be inappropriate to publish information supplied by companies. I must therefore withhold commercially sensitive information under Exemption 13 (third party's commercial confidences) of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information.