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

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what support the Government is providing to the aerospace industry in Scotland to create more highly skilled jobs.

We are working closely with the Scottish Government, through Scottish Enterprise, to tackle barriers to growth, boost exports and grow high-value skilled jobs in Scotland, in support of companies of all sizes, including small and medium sized enterprises. This is backed with a UK wide industry strategy which is integral to Scotland’s own industrial strategy for aerospace, defence, marine & security.

Support from the Department is provided through the £1.95billion committed to new UK aerospace research and technology, out to 2026, which is matched by industry; and the £250m Sharing in Growth intensive performance improvement programme, focussing support to SMEs. Other R&D provisions are also available, for example Innovate UK has committed £45,883,111 in core grant funding to the Advance Forming Research Centre since 1st October 2011 - and up to 31st March 2019 - through the High Value Manufacturing Catapult. On top of this core funding, AFRC has been in receipt of separate, competitively-won funding from Innovate UK by being part of consortia that have made successfully bids through our various CR&D competitions.

BEIS officials are in regular contact and meetings with officials in Scottish Enterprise responsible for supporting aerospace in Scotland to discuss aerospace priorities in Scotland and new investment opportunities.