Extract from
PMQs
(Rugby) (Con): Since I was
elected in 2010, Rugby has seen employment grow by nearly 6,000,
with 10% more of my constituents in work. Much of that has been
driven by investment in advanced manufacturing in places such as
Ansty Park, where we have got the Manufacturing Technology
Centre, which the Prime Minister visited, the High Temperature
Research Centre, Rolls-Royce
Parker Meggitt, Fanuc and the London Electric Vehicle Company.
Given that every Labour Government have left office with
unemployment higher than when they came in, can the Prime
Minister see any reason why anybody would want to put this
fantastic progress at risk?
The Prime Minister: On a recent visit, I was pleased to see for
myself that my hon. Friend is a great champion for his
constituents. I was very pleased to see the thriving local
technology and manufacturing industry, which will help us deliver
on our ambitions to make the UK a science and technology
superpower. He is right that we have a record 1 million fewer
workless households, and unemployment near record lows. He is
also right that we need to stick to the plan, because that is how
we will deliver the long-term change that our country needs and a
brighter future for families up and down the country, including
in his constituency.
Extracts from Commons
debate on UK Trade: Aviation
(Crawley) (Con):...The UK does
not have to choose between growing our economy through
international travel, or travelling less and protecting our
environment. By innovating and being global leaders in new
sustainable aviation fuels technology, we can increase our
services and goods sectors, and be at the forefront of new green
technologies. We have some iconic British brands that have
already demonstrated this. Last November I experienced the first
transatlantic flight to use 100% sustainable aviation fuel when
Virgin Atlantic, headquartered in my constituency, flew from
London Heathrow to John F. Kennedy airport in New York, powered
by Rolls-Royce
Trent 1000 engines using sustainable aviation fuels. I believe
that we should be optimistic about our future economy and our
environmental protection, with Britain a global leader in both...
Sir (Poole) (Con):...We are very
good at aviation. It is probably one of the legacies of the
second world war, when a large amount of our GDP went into
fighters, bombers and technology. Post war, we have always
punched above our weight in aviation. I was surprised the other
day when I saw some figures from the Treasury that showed that
half of all airliners sold across the world in an average year
have wings made in Wales—of course, Airbus has half the world
market. They are very good wings, and they provide some very good
jobs. We still have Rolls-Royce
punching above its weight and producing innovative engines, many
of which are designed to run on new fuels. It means that the
company is going to be a major player in future years...
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Cabinet Office
():...Thanks to the ATI
co-investment alongside industry, the UK is leading the Airbus
Wing of Tomorrow programme, exploring radical new approaches to
aircraft wing manufacture and design. We are also powering ahead
in the field of engine manufacture, with the world's most
efficient jet engine—the Rolls-Royce UltraFan—on
the horizon. The ATI has supported over 400 R&D projects
worth £3.6 billion since it was founded, helping some incredible
innovations developed by industry disruptors to take flight and
attracting foreign investors to these shores, including Boeing
and Safran. Given these achievements, it is only right that we
continue to strengthen the UK's position in the global aerospace
manufacturing sector, and in the Government's most recent autumn
statement we extended the ATI programme budget for a further five
years.
In addition, our jet zero strategy sets out our plan for
achieving net zero aviation by 2050. It includes the new aircraft
technologies developed in partnership by industry and the ATI
programme. There is clearly a bright future ahead. Last year we
got a glimpse of this promise—as my hon. Friend mentioned, he got
more than a glimpse—when the first net zero flight crossed the
Atlantic powered by Rolls-Royce
engines and using 100% sustainable aviation fuel...
To read the whole debate, OPEN HERE
