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Defence Industrial Strategy

First, although the hon. Gentleman clearly feels that my statement is terrible for BAE Systems, the problem is that the company does not feel the same way. I believe that it will welcome the Government’s defence industrial strategy. Secondly, it would be little over the top for the hon. Gentleman to tell his constituents that a dramatic crisis is looming because one of our planning assumptions is that we may go to unmanned aerial vehicles after 2040. That projection is no more than a warning about something that may happen down the line. Thirdly, we are spending in the order of £50 million on more than 200 Eurofighters, and we are also insisting that maintenance on the joint strike fighter and the updating of its technological capabilities is carried out in this country. All of that is good news. Most important for a company like BAE Systems is the fact that we are sharing with it our long-term vision of how much we shall spend within the limits of what is possible for a Government that must go through three reviews, where we will spend it and how it should invest its money and so on. That is good news for industry and I hope that the hon. Gentleman will reflect on that.