Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he is taking to increase the allocation of Red Arrows depth work to RAF Valley to mitigate the effect of any T1 Black Fleet reductions; and what effect that increase in allocation will have on employment levels in Ynys Môn.

The Ministry of Defence is committed to RAF Valley which delivers world leading aircrew fast jet training, and the advanced Hawk T2 aircraft, used for lead-in fighter training, together with Texan T1 aircraft in the basic fast jest training role will continue to be operated, maintained and upgraded at the station, thereby sustaining high quality engineering employment on Ynys Môn.

The retirement of Royal Air Force (RAF) Hawk T1 aircraft from combat support roles was announced in the recent Defence Command Paper but the out of service date is yet to be determined, as are any potential implications of the withdrawal of these aircraft on employment on Ynys Môn. No decision has yet been taken on the location of the future maintenance for the RAF Aerobatic Team (Red Arrows), within the framework of the Future Hawk Support Contract.