Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what discussions he has had with stakeholders on the future of the (a) workforce and (b) production lines at Spirit AeroSystems in Northern Ireland; and what steps he is taking to help (i) protect jobs and (ii) support the aerospace sector in Northern Ireland.

Government recognises the importance of Spirit Aerosystems’ operations, skills, capabilities and experience to the Northern Ireland economy, the wider UK aerospace sector and its future potential in the global market. My department has been a supporter of Spirit AeroSystems’s via Repayable Launch Investment (RLI) and Aerospace Technology Institute (ATI) funding, and we retain a strong interest in seeing its operations prosper after the sale process has concluded. Ministers and officials are in conversation with the interested parties, including the Northern Ireland Executive, to ensure the best outcome whereby the new owners commit to invest and grow the businesses, thereby sustaining jobs and safeguarding the aerospace sector in Northern Ireland.