Question
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the Defence Command Paper, published March 2021, how many new highly skilled jobs were created by the UK combat air industry in 2021.
Answer
The March 2021 Defence Command Paper noted that 18,000 people were employed in the UK combat air sector and that the Future Combat Air System (FCAS) programme had created 1,800 skilled jobs. FCAS is expected to be the primary driver for new recruitment into the combat air industry and from consultation with our industry partners we understand that by the end of 2021 over 2,000 skilled professionals were employed on the programme.