§ 27. Mr. GrayTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the A400M. [1209]
§ Dr. MoonieA significant step forward has recently been achieved on the A400M programme. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence joined several European colleagues at the Paris Airshow on 19 June in signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for this programme. This MoU commits the UK to buying362W 25 A400M aircraft in order to satisfy the UK's Future Transport Aircraft requirement, alongside commitments from other partners. Signature of the A400M MoU paves the way for placement of the contract with Airbus Military Company. Signature of the contract is conditional on satisfactory completion of contractual negotiations, on which some important issues remain to be resolved but we are striving with our partners to ensure contract placement as soon as possible.