Dr Allison Gardner

I beg to move, That this House has considered Government support for the advanced ceramics industry in north Staffordshire. It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Sir Jeremy. I thank the House for allowing this debate today. Although the ceramics industry is typically known for producing bespoke mugs and saucers, the advanced ceramics industry plays a critical but often discreet role in the manufacture of specialist components for key industries. We cannot manufacture steel, aluminium, glass, bricks or cement without ceramics or refractories. Materials such as zirconia, silicon nitride, alumina and silicon carbide are hidden components that form a critical part of the supply chain for high-tech industries, including defence, nuclear energy, electronics and aerospace. I was delighted when ceramics was recognised as a foundational sector in the industrial strategy. The contribution that our local companies make to the IS-8 critical sectors is remarkable. North Staffordshire is a recognised cluster for advanced ceramics. It is home to world-leading companies such as Mantec, Ross Ceramics and Lucideon. Our local industry is particularly important for defence capability. I have been working with the Ministry of Defence to highlight the importance of advanced ceramics to procurement, particularly for small and medium-sized enterprises such as Mantec. Mantec produces for Rolls-Royce ceramic molten metal filters that remove impurities from molten turbine blades used in civil aviation and defence, and it is asking how SMEs can access defence funding projects to bolster their expertise. Will the Minister outline what practical steps SMEs such as Mantec can take to access SME support from the Department for Business and Trade and the Ministry of Defence, and who they can contact for guidance? Advanced ceramics is the only class of materials capable of enabling hypersonic weapons for defence. Silicon carbide, boron carbide and alumina are used in ballistic-resistant armour and military vehicles. Advanced ceramics are used in antennae and sensors for defence communication and surveillance, and in jet engine coatings for civil and defence aerospace. Without ceramic coatings, aero engines would not be able to operate. Ultra high-temperature ceramics have some of the highest melting points of any material and are used in rocket nozzles and nose cones, and on the leading edge of wings and stabilisers on hypersonic missiles and thrust diverters. For example, Ross Ceramics in Trentham, which is part of Rolls-Royce, manufactures complex geometry ceramic cores used in the investment casting of gas turbine engine components. Lucideon, which is based in the constituency of the right hon. Member for Stone, Great Wyrley and Penkridge (Sir Gavin Williamson), specialises in high-tech applications of advanced ceramics in aerospace, nuclear energy and construction. I have been working with Lucideon on its proposal to establish sovereign capability for the development of ceramic matrix composites, or CMCs.