Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many new jobs will be created in the UK from the manufacture of 12 new F-35 A jets.

UK industry contributes approximately 15% by value of F-35 production, working with over 100 suppliers and supporting more than 20,000 jobs. The Ministry of Defence will purchase 12 F-35A aircraft as part of the previously agreed F-35B procurement schedule.

It will help sustain the significant employment and industrial benefits provided by the programme. The rear fuselage and tail surfaces of every F-35 are manufactured in Lancashire; the ejection seats are manufactured in Middlesex; and core avionics and electronics systems are manufactured in Scotland, Kent and the South West.