MPs demand answers over jet order
MPs have tackled a Government minister on how many multi-billion pound fighter jets it plans to build.
Michael Jack and Lindsay Hoyle demanded answers from defence minister Adam Ingram over the size of the order for Eurofighter Typhoons in the House of Commons.
They quizzed the Government’s refusal to say whether it plans to sell 72 jets it has already ordered to Saudi Arabia, thus cutting the size of its own order.
Speaking afterwards, Mr Jack, MP for Fylde, accused the minister of ducking the question.
He said: “At the moment the Government is not coming clean on the issue.
“We already know that 24 jets from the existing UK tranche two order are being sold to Saudi Arabia, as this is a government to government deal, so I assume they will be replaced by future tranches.”
Mr Ingram refused to say exactly how many Typhoons the Government would buy, adding that it had already committed to buying 144 of the aircraft.
02 November 2006
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November 3, 2006 at 2:58 am