Mandelson unveils £150m plan for UK industry

David Robertson
Lord Mandelson, the business secretary, has announced that the Government will invest £151.5 million in technology-intensive industries such as aerospace and nuclear power.
The package is part of Gordon Brown's Building Britain's Future programme, which was announced last month as part of the Prime Minister's relaunch following poor results in the European elections. The business package is targeted at industries identified as important to the growth of the UK economy.
The single largest beneficiary is Rolls Royce, which has been given £45 million to help build new manufacturing sites in the UK.
Three will be dedicated to the company's aerospace work and one will develop its nuclear business. Rolls Royce said that the new facilities would make fan blades for the Joint Strike Fighter aircraft, advanced-alloy disks for engine turbines and single-crystal blades for high temperature aero engines.
Rolls Royce will also benefit from a £45 million investment to improve the efficiency of aircraft engines in order to reduce carbon emissions. A further £40 million will be spent on a collaborative programme to improve aerospace technologies and £12 million will go to a Printable Electronics Centre in Sedgefield that will make displays.
Lord Mandelson said: “At the heart of Britain’s knowledge economy is our manufacturing base. High-value, highly skilled and internationally successful businesses that have worked hard to secure a lead in hi-tech global supply chains. This practical package of measures will help equip British manufacturers, of all sizes and sectors, to take advantage of the advanced technologies and new market opportunities now shaping our low-carbon industrial future."