Ben Obese-Jecty
Main Page: Ben Obese-Jecty (Conservative - Huntingdon)Department Debates - View all Ben Obese-Jecty's debates with the Wales Office
(1 day, 23 hours ago)
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Anna McMorrin
My hon. Friend is absolutely right that Labour will always put the defence and security of the Welsh people first. That is why we announced last week that, if the Welsh Government continue to drag their feet on committing to a Wales defence technical excellence college, the UK Government stand ready to step in where Plaid will not. With the Scottish Government already making clear their commitment to DTECs in Scotland, I strongly urge the Welsh Plaid Cymru Government to come to the table and work with us, so that we can protect our security and create the jobs of the future.
Ben Obese-Jecty (Huntingdon) (Con)
The Ajax programme at the General Dynamics land systems factory is obviously a huge employer in Merthyr Tydfil, but with the Government unable to get Ajax back on track and no guarantee of any defence exports, all work at the factory is due to stop after the vehicles have been upgraded to capability drop 4. What are the Government doing to ensure that the jobs at that factory remain beyond the completion of the work on the Ajax programme?
Anna McMorrin
The hon. Member makes a very good point. General Dynamics is a very important company, and I have had many conversations with it about its investment and the continuation of the Ajax programme. We know about the challenges that the programme has encountered, but considerable efforts have been made to resolve them and drive forward the programme. That organisation invests hugely in the local community, delivering high-quality jobs, and part of our £50 million defence growth deal is to ensure that this will continue well into the future.