HC Deb 16 December 1965 vol 722 cc1470-4
The Minister of Aviation (Mr. Roy Jenkins)

With permission, Mr. Speaker, I should like to make a statement about the Plowden Report.

The Report of the Committee of Inquiry into the Aircraft Industry, under the chairmanship of Lord Plowden, has now been received and printed. Copies will be available in the Vote Office at 4.30 p.m. today.

This is a most valuable Report, and the Government are indebted to Lord Plowden and the other members of the Committee for their sustained work and penetrating analysis.

The Report proposes a set of guidelines for future policy, with a number of detailed recommendations for future action. Among the subjects dealt with in detail are the organisation and future ownership of the industry. As a preliminary to coming to conclusions on these subjects, I shall be holding exploratory discussions with the industry shortly.

The House will, I am sure, appreciate that the Committee's Report requires the most careful study both by the Government and by the industry. We are also anxious that there should be a full opportunity for consideration by the House. I therefore hope to make a fuller statement about the Report when the House reassembles after the Christmas Recess, and my right hon. Friend the Leader of the House, as he said earlier, will be arranging for an early debate.

Mr. R. Carr

We agree with the right hon. Gentleman that such an important and, I gather, lengthy Report needs most careful study. Whether we shall agree with its recommendations or not, may I associate the Opposition with the Minister's thanks to Lord Plowden and the members of his Committee.

I should like to ask three questions. First, would the Minister assure us that the Government will not take decisions in advance of the debate to which he and the Leader of the House referred? Secondly, can he say whether any of the major recommendations, if they were to be accepted, would require legislation? Thirdly, if they were accepted and did require legislation, would not the still further delay and uncertainty be very damaging to the industry, and what would be done to lessen that damage?

Mr. Jenkins

I am grateful to the right hon. Gentleman for associating his party with the thanks which we owe to Lord Plowden.

I am not sure what the right hon. Gentleman has in mind in asking about decisions. I assured the House in the debate on Monday that there was no question of announcing decisions on the F.111 before the House had debated the Plowden Report. That is the main consideration which I think the right hon. Gentleman had in mind. As far as decisions which we took while the Committee was sitting were concerned, this was always envisaged. With regard to decisions about Government policy on the recommendations of the Report, we must take decisions because I am sure that the whole House would want us to make a considered statement on Government policy when we report to the House again in a few weeks' time.

In reply to the right hon. Gentleman's second question, it is possible that some of the recommendations of the Report might require what I would call enabling legislation. We are certainly extremely anxious to bring to an end as soon as possible any period of uncertainty in the industry and I am glad to know that the right hon. Gentleman takes the view that if legislation should be required, we would want to get it through as quickly as possible.

Mr. Lubbock

As the Plowden Report requires careful study before it is implemented, does this not apply with even greater force to the Defence Review? Will the right hon. Gentleman therefore press upon his colleagues the need for—

Mr. Speaker

Order. We have enough issues to discuss today. These questions should be confined to the Plowden Report.

Mr. Woodburn

In view of the suggestion that decisions should be held up, will my right hon. Friend give an assurance that this will not prevent him from continuing the progress that is being made towards European co-operation in the whole aircraft field?

Mr. Jenkins

It will certainly not do so. I do not wish to give partial reports, but I am glad to say that the Plowden Report is strongly in favour of collaboration with Europe, and we shall press hard on with it.

Mr. J. Amery

Is the Minister aware that in judging Lord Plowden's Report, which I am sure is of the greatest interest, we should all be aware, first, that the Government took a number of major decisions, both of cancellation and of future projects, while Lord Plowden was doing his work; and secondly, that as far as we know he did not have access to the findings of the Defence Review, and that, in the circumstances, the value of his Report must be fairly limited?

Mr. Lubbock

On a point of order. How is it possible, Mr. Speaker, for the right hon. Member for Preston, North (Mr. J. Amery) to ask a question about the Defence Review when I am not allowed to do so?

Mr. Speaker

I assure the hon. Member that all Members are the same to Mr. Speaker. The hon. Member made no point which connected the Defence Review with the Plowden Report. The right hon. Gentleman was more ingenious.

Mr. Jenkins

I am sorry to see that the right hon. Gentleman, even if he is ingenious, is beginning to dissociate himself from the Plowden Report before he has read it. I assure him that while we wanted the Plowden Committee to have all possible evidence available, and while certainly it was essential from this viewpoint that we should make decisions while the Committee was sitting, otherwise the position would have been far more uncertain, it was not possible to go on indefinitely waiting for the Defence Review before we had the Plowden Report—waiting for one thing before we had something else—otherwise the only result could be indefinite prolongation of uncertainty.

Mr. Raphael Tuck

Will my right hon. Friend assure the House that until we have fully debated the Plowden Report, there will be no question of taking up the option on the Boeing 707/320s?

Mr. Jenkins

I am not quite sure to what my hon. Friend is referring. I am not aware of an option other than for the two freighters, which is well beyond the stage of an option. Certainly, there is no question of B.O.A.C. buying any further Boeings during the period that my hon. Friend has in mind.

Mr. McMaster

As far as the Plowden Report deals with independent airframe manufacturers outside the two main groups, and particularly Short Brothers and Harland, will the Minister bear in mind the importance of maintaining an adequate flow of work to ensure employment at Short Brothers and Harland pending new contracts or other diversification? Will he bear in mind the techno- logical importance of Short Brothers to Ireland?

Mr. Jenkins

I do, of course, bear this in mind, and the Report deals with the position of Short Brothers. I would be misleading the hon. Member and the House if I were to suggest that it deals with it in a particularly encouraging way. We shall, however, take this and other factors into account in arriving at an early statement of policy on this as on other matters.

Mr. Mikardo

Has my right hon. Friend observed that the contents of this Report leaked to the Press much earlier and much more widely than in the case of any other similar document that I remember? Has he any observation to make upon this peculiar circumstance?

Mr. Jenkins

No, Sir, except that I regret this happening. The Report was submitted three weeks ago. Leaks have occurred during the last week which I greatly regret. I hope, however, that this will not detract from the interest with which the House will read the Report.

Several Hon. Members rose——

Mr. Speaker

Order. I must protect the important business of the day.