Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what plans his Department has to support the aerospace industry following the announcement of 440 job losses at British Aerospace.

We will work closely with BAE Systems and local leaders to manage the impact of the losses, including through the Talent Retention Solution which is available to match skilled workers to jobs in the advanced manufacturing and engineering sector. In addition support will be available through Job Centre Plus, the Skills Funding Agency and other local partners.

Government is committed to working with industry through the Defence Growth Partnership to help identify and capitalise on opportunities for growth, building on our strengths in areas such as air capabilities. The DGP’s Implementation Plan, launched by the Prime Minister at the Farnborough Airshow in July, builds on the Strategic Vision published last year and will help industry maximise defence exports through a new UK Defence Solutions Centre and a strengthened UKTI DSO.

For the civil aerospace sector Government and industry set out a joint strategy and implementation plan for growth in the Aerospace Industrial Strategy published in March 2013. A progress update on these was published in July.