§ 3. Mr. de Freitasasked the Minister of Defence what study he is making of the possible use by the Royal Air Force and other Services of operational and transport aircraft developed from the Saunders Roe Hovercraft.
§ Mr. SandysThe Government are watching the development of this novel principle with close interest. It is too soon to judge what may be its practical military applications.
§ Mr. de FreitasIn view of the alarming lack of imagination shown by the Service Departments in the early stages of this invention, can the Minister assure us that support for its development will not fall between two stools, in view of the fact that one Department appeared to regard it as an aircraft and another Department appeared to regard it as a ship? Will the right hon. Gentleman look into this matter, which is extremely serious?
§ Mr. SandysI would not like to say which it is, but its development has been either entirely or almost entirely financed from Government sources through the National Research and Development Corporation.
§ Mr. de FreitasWill the right hon. Gentleman look particularly at the point that in its later stages of development it should not be shuffled from one Service Department to another simply because in the early stages it was turned down by one and accepted by the other?
§ Mr. SandysI am very interested in the project. I am going to look at it very shortly, and I can assure the hon. Gentleman that it is being watched very closely.