A NEW regional task force aims to help small to medium-sized suppliers win more business.

The groundbreaking initiative is spearheaded by the North West Aerospace Alliance.

It will bring together representatives of the aerospace industry bodies, the trade unions, the North West Regional Development Agency, business support services, the region's universities and Lancashire County Council.

A recent Manchester conference identified a major concern that business resulting from large government contracts might not necessarily filter down the supply chain.

The conference, organised by the Alliance, was supported by the AEEU, Lancashire County Council, the North West Development Agency and the European Regional Development Fund.

It backed the task force initiative proposed by NWAA Chairman Dennis Mendoros.

He said: "It means we have the backing of everyone involved to ensure that we identify all the issues facing SMEs and establish clear lines of communication with the government and Europe.

"It is a true partnership formed to gain a competitive advantage for the aerospace industry."

One of the conference speakers was John Spellar, Minister for the Armed Forces.

He acknowledged the concerns of small and medium-sized businesses.

The government, he said, was looking to prime defence contractors to treat their suppliers fairly and not to regard them as a "squeezeable part of the equation."

Guests at the conference in the Crowne Plaza Midland Hotel included North West Euro MP Gary Titley.

The inaugural meeting of the North West Aerospace Alliance Space Group recently attracted top speakers from manufacturers already involved in the space programme, the British National Space Centre and other research-based organisations.