§ 5. Mr. Wallasked the Minister of Defence whether sufficient modern shipping is now available for lifting tanks and heavy vehicles from the British Isles and landing them on open beaches elsewhere.
§ Mr. SandysWithout knowing precisely what amphibious operations we might have to undertake in the future, it is difficult to define what is sufficient, but I consider that we are maintaining a reasonable number of specialised ships of this kind.
§ Mr. WallIs my right hon. Friend aware that the class of ships of the special type that were built during the war are now too slow and could not face an ocean voyage, such as round the Cape? What 1155 is the use of spending millions on new tanks if we cannot take them out of the country? As amphibious operations are the special responsibility of my right hon. Friend's Department, would he look at this again?
§ Mr. SandysI do not altogether accept what my hon. Friend says. The vessels we possess still have a number of years of useful life. The time to scrap them has not yet come, but that does not mean that we are not making plans to replace them in due course.