HC Deb 25 February 1965 vol 707 cc587-9
12. Mr. Wall

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he will make a statement on the progress of talks between the two consortia and the Government on nuclear propulsion.

Mr. Mason

No talks are at present in progress.

Mr. Wall

Is the hon. Gentleman aware that we are getting behind very many of the leading maritime nations in the development of a nuclear ship? Is he aware that only two days ago his right hon. Friend said that the A.E.A. was ready to design a reactor for trials at sea and that it admitted that we will not get any further until we have a nuclear reactor at sea?

Mr. Mason

Technically, the Atomic Energy Authority has said that we can go ahead. The point is that the Authority has not yet completed its review. We started three months ago to find out whether (a) it should be a test bed at sea and further money should be spent on research and development, or (b) whether there is an economic nuclear unit available and, if that were so and we took a decision to go ahead, whether we could by-pass other nations who use nuclear propulsion units.

Mr. Wingfield Digby

Surely it is well known that there is no economic reactor at present and that the whole argument is that we need experience of how these things work at sea and how to cope with the problem of screening, on which other nations are making rapid strides?

Mr. Mason

We must wait until the review is complete before taking a final decision.

Mr. Blenkinsop

Would not my hon. Friend agree that it was the long period of shilly-shallying on the part of the previous Administration which has left us so far behind today?

Mr. Mason

I am obliged to my hon. Friend for that comment. He has reinforced the point which I have already expressed.

18. Mr. Wingfield Digby

asked the President of the Board of Trade what study he has made of shipyards overseas which build or plan to build nuclear merchant ships; and if he will take the results of this study into account before reaching his decision on the British nuclear powered merchant ship.

Mr. Mason

The Government are keeping in touch with developments overseas and will take all the available information into account in reaching a decision.

Mr. Digby

Has the Minister of State studied this report that a well-known foreign shipowner is disposing of his fleet with a view to replacing it with a nuclear-powered fleet to be built in a foreign shipyard? Should that not be taken into account when studying this problem.

Mr. Mason

Certainly.

Mr. Wall

Could the Minister of State say when he hopes to be able to reach a decision about maritime nuclear reactors?

Mr. Mason

I cannot say at this stage I have told the hon. Member time and time again that it is subject to a review. He should not be complaining bitterly about three or four months' study when the previous Administration made no progress whatsoever.

Mr. Hogg

Does the Minister of State not recall that there was a report by the Powell Committee? Exactly what more does he want to find out from his current review than has been already published by the Powell Committee?

Mr. Mason

The right hon. Gentleman should get his facts straight. First of all, it was the Padmore Committee which the previous Administration were responsible for setting up. He was himself responsible for debating the Padmore Committee Report on the Floor of the House. No doubt he will remember that he defended their conclusions, which were inconclusive.

Mr. Hogg

Whilst conceding that I made a mistake about the name, which is no doubt a matter of great seriousness and great importance to the House, will the hon. Gentleman answer the Question? What more does he hope to get than he has already out of the Report of that Committee?

Mr. Mason

The determination to what extent public money should be spent on the project.