Oral question asked in the House of Commons, by Jim Cousins (Labour). It was answered on Monday, 29 March 2010 on behalf of the Ministry of Defence.

Defence-Related Employment (Tyneside)

Question: The workers at BAE Systems' armoured fighting vehicle factory on Newcastle's Scotswood road have loyally backed up the efforts of our armed forces in Iraq and Afghanistan, but they now face job losses, and the run-down and possible closure of the plant, because of the loss of the specialist vehicle order. Was this because Tyneside was politically outgunned by Wales and Scotland, or because the management at the plant were incompetent? Will the Minister come to Tyneside to explain how this decision was made, and what the way forward for the workers will be?

Answer: It was neither of those two things. The contract award was made on value for money, which was a function of performance reliability and cost. I understand my hon. Friend's disappointment about the decision, but we have to make such decisions on the basis of value for money. I would certainly be happy to accept his invitation to come to Newcastle and to meet the management and the work force again.

Secondary information