§ 35. Commander Courtneyasked the Civil Lord of the Admiralty when it is intended to lay down a third nuclear submarine.
§ The Civil Lord of the Admiralty (Mr. C. Ian Orr-Ewing)I am not yet able to make any statement on this matter.
§ Commander CourtneyIs my hon. Friend aware that the Americans will shortly be launching one nuclear submarine a month from six different shipyards where nuclear submarines are built and that the Russians will certainly have a comparable programme? Does he not think that if we are to have any pretentions to being a maritime Power we are falling behind these other nations?
§ Mr. Orr-EwingI have already said that our nuclear submarine programme is expensive and it may take some time before it is decided exactly what we want in future years.