Airbus Question 3.10 pm Asked by Lord Haskel To ask Her
Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the risk
assessment published by Airbus of the impact on its business of the
United Kingdom leaving the European Union without a proper
agreement and adequate transition time. The Parliamentary
Under-Secretary of State, Department...Request free trial
Airbus
Question
3.10 pm
Asked by
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The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for
Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (Lord Henley)
(Con)
My Lords, Airbus is important to the United Kingdom and we
want continued investment in the UK industry from Airbus in
the long term. The analysis that Airbus has published is
based on a no-deal scenario, which we neither want nor
expect. The Government remain committed to a trading
environment with the EU that is as free and as frictionless
as possible. We are confident that a Brexit agreement will
be reached to our mutual benefit.
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(Lab)
My Lords, the Minister’s reply does not actually get us any
further. Indeed, Airbus is not alone. Is he not aware that
it is these pious hopes and lack of clarity that force all
responsible businesses to make contingency plans, to plan
for the extra cost of disruption to the flow of goods and
people, to plan for the absence of agreed standards on
safety, certification and dispute resolution, and even to
plan for possible tariffs? Will he take these concerns more
seriously and respond in much clearer terms?
-
My Lords, I and other Ministers take these concerns
seriously. That is why my right honourable friend the
Secretary of State responded to this point yesterday in
another place and made it quite clear that he was listening
to the concerns of Airbus, just as I made it clear that we
were. The important point to remember is that the analysis
put forward by Airbus was based on a no-deal scenario. As
the noble Lord is aware, we will continue to negotiate, and
we hope that those negotiations will achieve a result that
will be good for British business.
-
(LD)
My Lords, the Minister is right to say that, in future, we
need the investment of Airbus and companies like it with or
without Brexit. However, the tone of the rebuke that came
from his government colleagues over the weekend was
inappropriate. The Foreign Secretary and the Health
Secretary took a tone with Airbus that was absolutely
counterproductive to future investment in this country.
Will he join his Secretary of State, , in rebuking his
colleagues and admit that it was not appropriate language?
-
My Lords, I do not think that it is for me to rebuke my
colleagues somewhat higher up in the pecking order than I
am. I am glad, however, that the noble Lord noted the tone
used by my right honourable friend in response to a
Question in another place yesterday on this subject. He
made it absolutely clear that he and other Ministers in the
department for business are prepared to listen to the
concerns of business; we will continue to make sure that
those concerns are taken into account in our negotiations.
-
(Lab)
My Lords, can the Minister go a little further and confirm
to the House and more generally that there is not a
two-stage policy here? Can he confirm that there is no
sense in which the Government are supporting those
companies that do not rock the boat over Brexit, as it
were, and that they are not disparaging those British
companies— responsible for many British jobs and for
support of the British economy—that point out the
inconsistencies and confusion at the heart of the
Government’s negotiating position?
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My Lords, I reject the last part of the noble Lord’s
statement. I make it absolutely clear that we support all
business, and we want a prosperous Britain, as my right
honourable friend made clear when launching the industrial
strategy and on other occasions. We will go on listening to
the concerns of business that it brings to us, and make
sure that they are taken into account in negotiations.
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(CB)
My Lords, should not the Minister worry about the pecking
order? Leaving the EU is actually getting harder and harder
to achieve on any sensible and non-hysterical basis and,
indeed, is probably becoming impossible the way things are
going, although the Government will not admit it. Bearing
that in mind, is it not preposterous for Ministers and
senior spokesmen for the Government to rubbish legitimate
complaints by businesses? There will be more in future, and
they should pay heed to them, bearing in mind that there
will be a heavy consequence for the fate of this country.
-
My Lords, as the noble Lord would expect, I reject
virtually all of what he had to say. I agree that it is
important that we make it clear to business that we listen
to its voices and concerns.
-
(Con)
My Lords, noble Lords and business are demanding clarity,
as my noble friend well knows. Will he accept that there
will be no clarity until there is a positive interaction
with the European Council and other European authorities?
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My Lords, my noble friend is right to point out that we are
in the middle of negotiations with the Commission, and it
is important that we get those right. Obviously, there will
not be clarity until negotiations are completed.
-
(Lab)
My Lords, will the Minister accept that the north-east
Wales Airbus factory—6,000 strong—makes a magnificent
contribution to Britain’s skills? It does training,
high-tech and apprenticeships, directly in the line of Mr
Chamberlain’s pre-war factory programme, which was Vickers,
Hawker, BAE and now Airbus, which as a factory keeps the
global fleet of Airbus aloft. If Britain is to retain her
greatness, must not blue-chip companies such as Airbus be
assured that their supply chains will be secure after
Brexit? I declare my interest in the register.
-
My Lords, I am very grateful to the noble Lord for
emphasising just what skills and talents we have in north
Wales; for that matter, we have them in other parts of the
country. He was right to bring that to the attention of the
House. As I said in earlier answers, we want to make sure
that we continue to benefit from those skills, and I think
Europe and the rest of the world will want to. That is why
we will continue to negotiate as we are.
-
(LD)
Is the Minister aware that Brexit could destroy the future of
many young people? Four thousand youngsters have gone through
the training programme in Airbus. At the moment, 400
apprentices are employed and trained at Broughton, and
another 130 will join them. Brexit would destroy the future
of these people. Is not it time that the Government really
thought again about this insane proposal that they are
supporting?
-
My Lords, the noble Lord will not be surprised that I do not
agree with him, and he is wrong to pose such threats to the
young people who are working for Airbus, for example, and
being trained and making progress. We have skills and talents
and want to make sure that they can continue to be used in
the world that we are moving into post Brexit.
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