§ Mr. DrewTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on progress on the A400M; and in particular what recent discussions he has had with his German counterpart. [41121]
§ Dr. MoonieThe A400M partner nations continue to work closely with a view to bringing the contract into effect in the very near future. Senior officials met on 22 March at which they identified mechanisms for achieving this; these are currently under consideration.
§ Mr. GrayTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the in-service date is for the A400M; and what its original In Service Date was. [48174]
§ Dr. MoonieThe current In Service Date (ISD) is 2010 against an original date of 2009. To minimise the impact of cost increases caused by a number of changes by other nations both to offtake and the timing of deliveries, the UK negotiated a restructured delivery schedule; this resulted in the one-year delay. The change was made in agreement with the other partner nations in November and was made without affecting the contract negotiations. The [SD for the A400M has always been around the end of the decade and we are making good progress towards the contract entering force.
§ Dr. KumarTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what impact the A400M project will have on the Teesside region, with particular regard to new contracts and job creation. [48587]
§ Dr. MoonieTo ensure best value for money, the A400M contract does not prescribe any national workshare arrangements. The prime contractor, Airbus Military, and its sub-contractor, Airbus UK, are free to select their suppliers on grounds of performance and cost. Airbus UK has estimated that the A400M programme will directly create up to 2,500 high quality jobs in the UK—notably in design and advanced manufacturing. They have calculated that indirect employment could bring that figure to over 8,000. It is not possible to say where these jobs will be located, but companies in the Teesside region will of course be free to compete for work on this important project.