DEFENCE Minister Lewis Mooney has promised the government will honour its pledge to buy 232 Eurofighters and will keep a close eye on the restructuring of British Aerospace.
North West MPs raised the issues with him in the Commons yesterday. Blackpool South MP Gordon Marsden and Chorley MP Lindsay Hoyle expressed concern at BAe Systems plans to sell off its Aerostructures Division, which employs 400 people at its Samlesbury factory.
And Fylde Tory MP Michael Jack asked for confirmation that, despite the crash of a prototype Eurofighter Typhoon in Spain last month, the government remained "utterly, totally and completely committed" to buying all 232 of the aircraft.
Mr Mooney confirmed that the government would buy the full order and the Eurofighter would come into service in June 2003. He dismissed claims that Germany and Italy would have the plane first.
Mr Mooney said of the Aerostructure's sale that it was a "successful and viable" business and a matter for BAe if it wished to sell it.
He added: "The company has said there are no current plans to fragment the business. I assure you that we will be keeping a very close eye on what is happening."
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