asked the Minister of Labour how many employees in the aircraft industry are likely to become redundant in the next few months as a result of the cancellation of Government contracts for airframes, aero-engines and accessories.

It is difficult to give reliable estimates because the size of the redundancy resulting from the cancellation of Government contracts depends on how far the firms concerned are able to-obtain other work. After consultation with my right hon. Friend the Minister of Supply, the best estimate I can give at the moment is that there will be a redundancy of the order of 2,000 over the next few months. This will affect the Bristol and London areas.