Exclusive: Defence Ministry ‘could save jobs at BAE’

THE Ministry of Defence could pull a Yorkshire aircraft factory back from the brink by placing an “emergency” order for the maintenance of civilian or military aircraft, a Government adviser said.

Government procurement adviser Professor Christopher Bovis called on Ministers to “act quickly” to safeguard the future of the BAE Systems plant at Brough, East Yorkshire, after the company announced plans to axe 900 jobs at the site as part of widespread cuts in its military aircraft division.

Speaking exclusively to the Yorkshire Post, Professor Bovis, HK Bevan Chair in Law at Hull University, said: “There are two choices. One is forget it, the real value is gone; my biggest fear is the company will lose the assembly part of the production to another part of the world, possibly China and sometimes even the design will migrate as well overseas.

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“The other viable option is the Government might perform a strategic intervention and place an order to keep the factory going until the company finds sustainable sources of demand from military organisations, or Governments across the world, to create a stream of orders to sustain the business for the foreseeable future.

“The UK government could place an emergency order to train pilots or create a demonstration project. It could be a maintenance order for a fleet of UK aircraft, civilian or military, something meaningful that will keep that extremely well-qualified workforce alive.”

He added: “But we have to act quickly. If the expertise disappears and the know-how migrates it’s impossible to get it back.”

The professor, who has just been appointed as a special adviser to the Danish government for its forthcoming presidency of the European Union, said it would be a “catastrophic error” to lose the manufacturing capability at Brough, which began making aircraft in 1916.

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His comments have been welcomed by unions and local MPs, who are campaigning to save the site during the 90-day consultation period over the planned cuts.

Hull West and Hessle Labour MP Alan Johnson, who is working with David Davis, Tory MP for Haltemprice and Howden, to explore options for maintaining production at the plant, said: “There’s no earthly reason we can see why civil aerospace engineering should not play a role in this. BAE had 20 per cent shares in (civilian aircraft manufacturer) Airbus which it sold five years ago and the Government has a seat on the board.

“There’s also a big skills shortage. Rolls Royce wants to treble its workforce over the next seven years and there’s a shortage at (European defence firm) EADS, so the idea of bringing work to Brough where the skilled workforce is, rather than expect them to spread themselves around seems to me to be more sensible.

“The other point is it’s a very slack period at the moment but from about 2016 there’s a real acceleration, not only in terms of Hawk but civil aerospace projects as well.

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“The combination of all of this means there is a sensible alternative and we want the Government to help on this.”

Ian Gent, staff union convenor at Brough, said: “It’s an interesting proposition and that’s straight in the lap of (new Defence Secretary) Philip Hammond. My question would be to tackle him with the detail to see if this is feasible.”

The company said in a statement: “Where Government departments place work is a matter for those departments to determine. Any additional work that BAE Systems can source, which it is actively seeking to do, will offer mitigation opportunities across the business.”

The MoD declined to comment.

German giant in talks on Brough site

IT has emerged that German engineering giant Siemens has held “informal” talks with BAE Systems over the future of the Brough site.

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The talks, alluded to in a blog by Chris Boardman, managing director of BAE’s military and information business, are thought to have involved the possibility of Siemens moving in and recruiting from the workforce.

Siemens is at an advanced stage of plans to create an offshore wind turbine manufacturing facility in Hull but has yet to finalise the deal.

BAE said it was “keen to engage” with organisations which may offer opportunities for the under-threat workforce.