Fylde MP Michael Jack has questioned whether a muilti-billion pound government contract to supply fighter jets to Saudi will actually bring extra work for BAE Systems staff at Warton.

Speaking during the government's annual defence procurement debate in the House of Commons, Mr Jack asked ministers if an order for 72 Typhoon jets, which the British government has agreed to supply to Saudi Arabia, is indeed a separate order from the 232 Typhoons the government has planned for the RAF.

If not, it would be a blow to BAE Systems Warton staff, as an order for 72 Typhoons would be worth an estimated £10 billion, safeguarding jobs for up to a decade.

Mr Jack asked: "Can the Minister therefore assure me that we are not about to be subjected to an example of smoke and mirrors, whereby the government magically acquire 72 of these aircraft...sell them Saudi Arabia, and then put their hands up and say 'Right, we've bought 232 of these, we've done what we said', when in fact they have not answered the question of the RAF's actual requirement?"

Later, the Fylde MP went on to praise BAE Systems for its investment in prototype unmanned aircraft, and he called on the government to speed up the time scale of development of such aircraft, and decide whether or not it will place an order for 12 Nimrod reconnaissance aircraft.

Don Touhig, Minister for the Armed Forces, is understood to have said he will write to Mr Jack to answer the queries he raised.