Asked by: Lord Empey (Ulster Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have made loan guarantees available to companies operating in the UK but who are registered offshore during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Answered by Lord Callanan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
SMEs which are registered abroad are eligible to apply for the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS), provided the SME is trading in the UK, not just selling into the UK, has the core of its business operations in the UK, and the CBILS Facility is deployed to support business activity in the UK.
The turnover threshold applies to global turnover of the SME or the consolidated group where that applies, but the CBILS scheme can only be used to support UK-based activity.
Asked by: Lord Empey (Ulster Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether, in the absence of a Northern Ireland Executive, they are satisfied that they have sufficient authority to negotiate with, and offer financial or other support to, any potential buyer of Bombardier's aerospace structures division in Belfast.
Answered by Lord Henley
Bombardier’s Belfast plant, its expertise and its highly skilled and dedicated staff will be highly sought after. The Government will work with Invest Northern Ireland (INI) to support potential buyers to take this successful and ambitious business forward.
Asked by: Lord Empey (Ulster Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they had with Bombardier about its decision to sell its aerospace structures division, including its manufacturing facilities in Belfast.
Answered by Lord Henley
My rt. hon. Friend the Secretary of State has spoken to Alain Bellemare, the Bombardier President and CEO, and Michael Ryan, the Chief Operating Officer of Aerostructures and Engineering Services, about their plans to sell the Belfast Aerostructures and Engineering Services operations. This is a result of Bombardier’s decision to focus its aerospace division on business jets.
The Belfast plant, its expertise and its highly skilled and dedicated staff will be highly sought after. The Government will work with potential buyers to ensure this successful and ambitious business is positioned for future growth.