Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate he has made of the number of professional pilots the UK aviation industry will need by 2030; and what steps he is taking to meet that demand.

Requirements for the recruitment and employment of pilots is for industry to determine against their business models and market needs.

The Department of Transport works closely with the aviation industry to ensure it continues to be a major, economic success story for Britain. This includes on issues such as skills and employment, which are topics we are actively exploring as part of our developing Aviation Strategy.

Investment in apprenticeships is one way to insure against a future STEM shortage. The aviation industry has taken the opportunity provided by the introduction of the apprenticeship levy to work together to develop more apprenticeship standards.

The Year of Engineering aims to showcase and celebrate the contribution that engineering makes to today’s world by developing and promoting direct and inspiring experiences of modern engineering throughout 2018. A number of aviation companies have already signed up as Year of Engineering partners to share what they do and I would encourage more to follow and help us reach the target of a million direct experiences for young people, their families and teachers.