RR Barnoldswick Update

I was well pleased to hear from Ministers over the summer that Rolls-Royce is to receive financial support totalling £45 million to help develop new technologies and address specific challenges faced by the aerospace sector.

The money will allow RR to build four new manufacturing facilities – creating or sustaining around 800 jobs – with a new advanced manufacturing plant at Barnoldswick to produce military aero engine fan blades.

But, despite the work of the Rolls-Royce Parliamentary Group of MPs, it is disappointing to learn that the company is to begin the manufacture of civil wide chord fan blades in Singapore.

 If this isn’t exporting core technology overseas, then what is?