BROUGHTON’S Airbus facility was praised by the Secretary of State for Defence yesterday when he visited the site to see how work on a Ministry of Defence (MOD) contract was progressing.

Defence Secretary Bob Ainsworth visited the wing-making site on Wednesday, August 26, and was given a tour of the facility before meeting employees and apprentices.

Airbus is currently working on a contract to build 14 A330 planes which UK company Air Tanker will use to provide the RAF with mid air refuelling aircraft.

The contract is helping to secure 3,000 jobs, some of them in Broughton.

Mr Ainsworth said: “You always see in the national press a lot of criticism of the MOD’s procurement methods but this is a very positive story.

“This is a good procurement which will give us the capability, on time, that we absolutely need and is very relevant to current operations. The MP, who became Defence Secretary in June, said he thought the Broughton site was “hugely impressive”.

He said: “This has spectacularly modern facilities and is part of the core skill capability in the UK.

“We do the clever end of aircraft production in this country and a huge part of that is here in Broughton.”

Mr Ainsworth has been criticised for the lack of resources for soldiers in Afghanistan, but he offered some reassurance for Flintshire families with loved ones fighting over there.

He said: “It is a hugely difficult job our armed forces are doing and sadly we have lost a few of them recently.

“But I can genuinely say you will not talk to a soldier out there who doesn’t say that kit and equipment is phenomenally improved over the last two years.”