Extracts from Westminster Hall debate on Carrier Strike Strategy - Feb 28
Friday, 1 March 2019 08:24
Mr Paul Sweeney (Glasgow North East) (Lab/Co-op):...It is critical
that we look not just at the first-tier equipment manufacturers,
such as BAE Systems and Rolls-Royce, in which the Government
have golden shares and can direct operational decision making to an
extent, but at the second and third-tier supply chains. After all,
3,000 people involved in the aircraft carrier project were in the
supply chains. We need to look at the industrial capabilities that
are critical to maintaining...Request free trial
Mr (Glasgow North East)
(Lab/Co-op):...It is critical that we look not just at the
first-tier equipment manufacturers, such as BAE Systems
and Rolls-Royce, in which the Government have golden
shares and can direct operational decision making to an extent, but
at the second and third-tier supply chains. After all, 3,000 people
involved in the aircraft carrier project were in the supply chains.
We need to look at the industrial capabilities that are critical to
maintaining sovereign capability. It is clear that General Electric
has made an operational decision to move that capability to France.
That is not in the British national interest, so we need to make it
clear that we will not accept that. It is as simple as that. It is
the Government’s duty to make that case and use whatever leverage
is required to make General Electric change its mind. The
Government are there to correct negative market decisions, and that
is what needs to happen to sustain our industrial capability...
(Filton and Bradley Stoke)
(Con):...I will mention a few specific
areas. Rolls-Royce’s involvement in carrier
strike supports several hundred jobs at its Bristol site in my
constituency. The Queen Elizabeth class aircraft carrier MT30 gas
turbine, and the anti-air warfare Type 45 destroyer WR21 gas
turbine, are supported by Bristol. It is also worth getting on the
record that the anti-submarine Type 23 frigates, which are powered
by Spey gas turbines, are supported out of the Filton plant, and
that the STOVL derivative engines for the F35B, which will fly from
the Queen Elizabeth, were designed there...
To read the whole debate, CLICK
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