This morning MPs used BIS oral questions in the House of Commons to champion the success of the UK’s aerospace sector.
Andrew Stephenson MP, the Conservative MP for Pendle, highlighted data published by ADS last week that revealed the last financial quarter saw the highest ever number of aircraft deliveries—it was up 5% on last year’s figure and up 34% on 2010’s.
This production of aircraft in the last quarter is worth up to £6bn to the UK economy.
Andrew asked the Business Secretary to continue to support the Aerospace Growth Partnership, saying many aerospace companies in his constituency credit the AGP as having played a key role in this success.
Looking forward, it is important the aerospace industry and the government continue their work through the Aerospace Growth Partnership and encourage greater investment in the skills, innovation and new plant and machinery needed to maintain our global competitiveness and provide high-value jobs across the UK.
The Labour MP Ian Lucas also raised the importance of supporting the AGP, whilst Henry Smith MP celebrated increased investment in the UK supply chain, and Laurence Robertson MP talked about the need to encourage young people into engineering and to consider a career with one of the world-leading aerospace companies in his constituency.
It was great to hear the Business Secretary, Sajid Javid, talk about the government’s commitment to a strong aerospace sector, to the Aerospace Technology Institute, and to working with industry through the AGP to remove barriers to growth, to boost exports and to grow high-value jobs – as well as about the huge opportunities that exist in our industry.
As our new report, The Great British Take-Off, published this week, shows, growing demand from UK airlines for new aircraft over the next 20 years will help to sustain high value, long-term jobs across the country, creating new opportunities for apprenticeships, graduates and experienced engineers.
