Adam Dance

Thank you again, Mr Speaker, for granting me this urgent question. I also thank the Minister for his response. Leonardo in Yeovil, the home of British helicopters since 1915, has been the only bidder for the UK’s £1 billion new medium helicopter contract for over a year now. It is clear that the current bid will not be sustainable past March. If this contract is not awarded by then, we will lose over 3,000 manufacturing jobs in Yeovil, support for over 12,000 jobs in the regional supply chain and the £320 million that Leonardo contributes to local GDP. We would also lose our country’s ability to produce our own helicopters end to end here in the UK at a time of serious global tensions and insecurity. Will the Minister please reassure us that the Government plan to go ahead with this contract and that the delays do not mean that the funding for the contract is not available? Can the Minister commit today to protect the future of the site in Yeovil? Will he state that the new medium helicopter programme is vital to our national defence? Finally, with the defence investment plan now seemingly in limbo, can the new medium helicopter programme be separated from the plan and awarded today—yes or no?