§ 37. Mr. Haymanasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty whether the further modernisation of H.M.S. "Ark Royal" will include the provision of lifts.
§ Mr. R. AllanIt is intended that "Ark Royal" should be taken in hand in September for a special refit. This is not a complete modernisation. During this refit modifications will be made to the forward and after aircraft lifts and to one of the bomb lifts. No new lifts are being installed.
§ Mr. HaymanMay I ask the hon. Member to consider whether he or the First Lord of the Admiralty should not consult the American naval authorities on the subject? I am informed that the American aircraft carriers have passenger lifts. Surely in these days the British aircraft carrier ought not to be behind any carrier.
§ Mr. AllanI did not realise that the hon. Member was referring to passenger lifts or crew lifts. Her Majesty's ships are supposed to be manned by young and ablebodied seamen.
§ Mr. C. R. HobsonIt is a new ship.
§ Mr. AllanThe "Ark Royal" is not a new ship. I have seen reports giving rather damaging comparisons between United States carriers and our own, particularly about replenishment, but we are developing new replenishment techniques, and I recently attended an exercise where the time was reduced by half. I am also told that an aircraft carrier recently embarked at sea in a few hours stores which it would have taken two days to embark if she had been alongside. I am sure that our American allies would be the first to admit that most of the important recent operational developments in carriers have been British inventions.