HC Deb 19 June 1963 vol 679 cc444-5
22. Mr. Cronin

asked the Minister of Defence what arrangements he envisages for co-ordinating aircraft and missile research and development for the three Services, as part of his proposed reorganisation of the Services.

25. Mr. Shepherd

asked the Minister of Defence what savings in the administrative staffs of the three Services and the Ministry of Defence he anticipates will result when the full arrangements for unification are in operation.

Mr. Thorneycroft

Details of the proposed defence reorganisation will be published in a White Paper next month.

Mr. Cronin

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that the present Government have spent over £200 million on aircraft and missiles that have been cancelled before going into service? Is it not, therefore, a matter of top priority that the co-ordination of research and development on aircraft and missiles should be considered?

Mr. Thorneycroft

It is certainly necessary that co-ordination of the aircraft and missiles programmes should be considered. Without accepting in any way the hon. Member's figures, I think he will find it extremely difficult to name any country which has not spent large sums of money on aircraft and missiles which have later been cancelled.

Mr. Cronin

Will the right hon. Gentleman reconsider his reluctance to accept these figures, since they were included in a written answer from the Ministry of Aviation on Monday?

Mr. Thorneycroft

Not even that will prevent me considering it.

Mr. Bellenger

The right hon. Gentleman has stated that an announcement is to be made in a White Paper. Is he intending to make that White Paper so expansive that he can indicate in more than a general way how he will unify the Service organisations, so that we can test whether there is to be real integration—which, I gather, is the purpose of the exercise?

Mr. Thorneycroft

I hope so. I know that the right hon. Gentleman has followed this matter very closely, but I ask him to await the White Paper. It will be in reasonable detail and will give him an opportunity of forming an opinion on the points he has very properly in mind.

Mr. Shinwell

Is it the intention to submit the White Paper to the House for preliminary discussions, or to obtain a decision by the House? Is it not extremely important that there should be very careful consideration by right hon. and hon. Members before the Government come to a conclusion?

Mr. Thorneycroft

It is always the purpose of White Papers to inform the House of Commons. I have always made it plain that I value the advice of the House in matters of this kind. These will be Government proposals for the reorganisation of defence, but this covers a vast field and there is plenty of opportunity for debate about details which I shall be interested to listen to.