Extract from Dbeis
questions: Manufacturing Sector
(Mid Derbyshire) (Con): Rolls-Royce is
a very important manufacturer throughout the UK, not least in
Derby, where it employs more than 12,000 people. Will my right hon.
Friend assure me that whenever the Government help
Rolls-Royceall money spent will directly support
the recovery of domestic civil aerospace manufacturing?
The Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial
Strategy (): My hon. Friend is a great champion of workers in her
constituency, and she and I have met to discuss these issues. She
will know that the Government are supporting the aerospace and
aviation sectors to the tune of almost £9 billion through loans
and grants. Of course, we want that support to create a positive
business environment and ensure that Rolls-Royce
and, indeed, other companies in the sector base their work in the
UK, sustaining well-paid local jobs for decades to come. As my
hon. Friend will know, Rolls-Royce proposes to
consolidate the assembly and testing of its large aero-engines
from Singapore to Derby.
Extract from Dbeis
questions: Covid-19: Business Sectors
(Manchester Central) (Lab/Co-op): Today’s unemployment
figures are a sobering reminder of the scale and pace of the
economic crisis now upon us. It is becoming increasingly clear
that, despite the Government’s initial early action, their
slowness and constant indecision are making the jobs crisis
worse. Will they now get ahead of the curve, as France, Germany
and Spain have done, not only to protect our key industries such
as aerospace and automotive, but to bring forward an ambitious
plan for their green renewal at a scale and pace to match the
crisis? As we are seeing at Rolls-Royce and
elsewhere, once decent jobs go, they are gone for good; and
communities across the north and midlands can ill afford to lose
them.
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Business, Energy
and Industrial Strategy (): The hon. Lady makes an important point about the
labour market statistics released this morning. The Government
are committed to helping the most vulnerable, as was demonstrated
with the £2 billion kickstart scheme for young people, who have
in many ways been heavily impacted by the challenge of covid. She
will see from this Government a green industrial strategy. As the
Secretary of State has already set out—judge us by what we do—36%
of the world’s offshore energy is produced by this country, and
we will go much further.
Extract from Dbeis
topical questions
Grahame Morris (Easington) (Lab): On Remembrance Sunday, we
rightly paid tribute to the fallen heroes, but let us not forget
the engineering innovation and skills of the
Rolls-Royce workers who put engines in the first
British jet fighters critical to winning the second world war.
Workers at the Barnoldswick site are currently on strike,
fighting to save hundreds of highly skilled engineering jobs and,
potentially, the site itself. Does the Minister agree with Unite
the Union that those jobs belong in Britain and that Government
support should absolutely be conditional on those jobs not going
offshore? [908590]
: I did address this issue earlier, but as the hon.
Gentleman will know Rolls-Royce has indicated
that it will retain key work in Barnoldswick, including fan blade
capability relating to the Trent 700 engines, the joint strike
fighter and a new technical capability for product development. I
can also tell him that I will be meeting a cross-party group of
Members of Parliament, together with Rolls-Royce
next week.
