The editor of the Hull Daily Mail is urging the Government and BAE Systems to “get their act together” over a £10bn contract which could cost hundreds jobs in Brough.

BAE Systems is East Yorkshire’s largest private employer, with a 2,350-strong workforce at the plant.

But 450 jobs are currently under threat, and this has been blamed on delays in signing a £10bn contract with the Ministry of Defence that would include the construction of a new fleet of Hawk trainer jets.

Now the Mail has called on both sides to come to an agreement as soon as possible and has issued 10 questions on the future of the Brough plant to BAE chief executive Mike Turner and Defence Secretary Geoff Hoon – who has the power to award the contract.

Editor John Meehan said: “Only by answering these questions will the company and the Government be able to put people’s minds at rest.

“If necessary, Mr Hoon and Mr Turner need to sit down and talk face to face to iron out the problems which seem to be holding back both sides from signing the MoD contract.

“Mr Hoon needs to spell out in clear terms exactly what the Government wants from BAE, and BAE needs to pull out all the stops to make sure that it delivers everything the MoD wants.”

He also said that although the Mail realised negotiations could not be done in public, workers and their families deserved some evidence that positive steps were being taken to safeguard jobs.