Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps he is taking to support aerospace supply chains.

The Government works closely with the UK aerospace sector, through the Industrial Strategy and Aerospace Growth Partnership, to support the competitive position of UK companies.

Through this partnership, Government has co-funded, with industry, a £4bn research and development programme from 2013 to 2026; a £250m productivity programme, Sharing in Growth (SiG); and a £40m technology collaboration programme aimed at smaller supply chain businesses, the National Aerospace Technology Exploitation Programme (NATEP). Government has also co-funded, with industry, the creation of an additional 500 Masters level postgraduate places for the UK aerospace sector. Many of these students are now working in the UK aerospace sector.

These programmes have helped hundreds of UK aerospace companies develop technologies and continue to be competitive in this global industry.