NEW plans to help defence firms which employ tens of thousands of East Lancashire workers diversify have been unveiled.
Defence Secretary George Robertson will launch proposals aimed at tackling concerns that the UK's defence sector, which has already shed large numbers of jobs in the wake of the ending of the Cold War, could face further cuts.
The Government's Green Paper on Defence Diversification sets out proposals to make available to the wider economy the expertise and technology of the defence industry. It proposes the establishment of a Defence Diversification Agency for Britain as a means of protecting vital technology and skills. MSF, the largest union representing scientific and engineering staff in the UK defence equipment manufacturing industries, welcomed the Green Paper.
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