Oral Answers to Questions

Kelly Tolhurst Excerpts

Tuesday 31st January 2017 Commons Chamber

[Fiona Bruce (Congleton) (Con)]

2. What recent assessment he has made of the international competitiveness of the UK aerospace.

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

5. What recent assessment he has made of the international competitiveness of the UK aerospace.

[Drew Hendry (Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey) (SNP)]

6. What assessment he has made of the aerospace industry’s contribution to economic growth across the UK.

--- Later in debate ---

[Jesse Norman]

I absolutely join my hon. Friend in congratulating the company. I have visited companies benefiting from the Sharing in Growth programme and I would be delighted to go to see the one in her constituency.

[Kelly Tolhurst]

Rochester and Strood has a proud aerospace history, having had the Short Brothers iconic flying boats. It is now home to Aeromet, an important SME that is part of the supply chain for Airbus. Will my hon. Friend outline how his Department will ensure that the UK aerospace supply chain will continue to have unhindered access to major opportunities in our manufacturing industries?

[Jesse Norman]

As my hon. Friend will know, the aerospace growth partnership has been a great success, with the Government working closely with industry. As part of that, the Government have made a joint funding commitment with the industry for nearly £4 billion of aerospace research between 2013 and 2026, so I think that the future is relatively well funded.