(Hyndburn) (Con): My hon. Friend will share my
concern about the fact that Rolls-Roycein
Barnoldswick is now looking to offshore 350 jobs to Singapore. Does
my hon. Friend agree that the Government really need to engage with
such businesses, because once local skills bases disappear, they
are gone for good?
(Sedgefield) (Con): I agree absolutely. We need to do
all we can as we go through the covid-19 crisis to make sure that
we retain key industries and jobs in our country.
(Birkenhead) (Lab):...Allow me to declare an
interest: before I had the great privilege of representing the
people of Birkenhead in this House, I served as north-west
regional secretary for Unite the union. During that time, I
represented many of the thousands of aerospace workers who now
find their jobs under threat, including Rolls-Royce employees at
Barnoldswick, where many operations are now being moved to
Singapore. I am sure I will not be alone in condemning that
decision as utterly shameful and as endangering the world-leading
status of British aerospace...
(Paisley and Renfrewshire North) (SNP):...At the
start of this period, aviation supported nearly 1 million direct
and indirect jobs. For those of us who represent airport
constituencies, there is real danger that the flood of
redundancies becomes a tsunami, with a catastrophic impact on our
local and regional economies. The effects on the supply chain are
even more devastating when it comes to aerospace companies such
as Rolls-Royce. At Inchinnan in my constituency,
700 jobs—over 50% of the workforce—are gone. These were
high-skilled, high-value jobs, now lost from our economy, perhaps
never to return. I fear for the long-term future of high-level
manufacturing like Rolls-Royce if the Government
continue to lift not a finger to save jobs and save local
communities...
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport
():...As we have heard from my hon. Friends the Members
for Arundel and South Downs () and for North West Durham (Mr Holden) and the hon.
Member for Caerphilly (), these are also challenging times for the aerospace
sector. The Government will be providing the sector with over
£8.5 billion of support over the next three years through the
covid corporate financing facility. I am particularly aware
of the concerns of my hon. Friend the Member for
Pendle () and the hon. Member for Birkenhead () about job losses from Rolls-Royce in their
constituencies. We have heard a great deal about job losses and
redundancies...
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