Oral Answers to Questions

Ben Howlett Excerpts

Tuesday 13th September 2016 Commons Chamber

The Secretary of State was asked—

[Ben Howlett (Bath) (Con)]

1. What steps his Department has taken to engage with British businesses since the EU referendum.

[Kelly Tolhurst (Rochester and Strood) (Con)]

10. What steps his Department has taken to engage with British businesses since the EU referendum.

--- Later in debate ---

[Ben Howlett]

I thank the Secretary of State for his answer, and I welcome the whole team to the new Department. The aerospace industry is absolutely vital to the west of England economy not just for jobs, but for growth. Will the Secretary of State work with me to ensure that the entire aerospace industry receives the support it requires and deserves?

[Greg Clark]

I certainly will do that. One of the biggest privileges of this job is to be reunited with aerospace; I got to know the sector when I was Science Minister. In fact, my first ministerial meeting was to have breakfast with the aerospace growth partnership at the Farnborough airshow, where I ran into my hon. Friend the Member for Aldershot (Sir Gerald Howarth). The west of England was very well represented there. For example, Katherine Bennett of Airbus, whom I am sure my hon. Friend the Member for Bath (Ben Howlett) knows well, one of the founder board members of the West of England LEP, was there. This is a very important sector for the economy, and it will have my wholehearted support.