HC Deb 19 February 1964 vol 689 cc1179-80
8. Mr. Wall

asked the Minister of Defence what decision has been reached about the replacement of Sea Vixen aircraft for the Royal Navy.

17. Mr. Healey

asked the Minister of Defence when he will make a statement regarding aircraft to replace the Hunter and Sea Vixen.

Mr. Thorneycroft

I have nothing at present to add to previous statements but propose to announce future plans in the defence debate next week.

Mr. Wall

Will my right hon. Friend bear in mind the importance of providing for the Royal Navy aircraft which are not hybrids and the equal importance of redeveloping the P.1154 as rapidly as possible?

Mr. Thorneycroft

I will bear those considerations in mind.

Mr. Healey

To ensure that Her Majesty's Government cannot be accused of deceiving the House by publishing Defence Estimates which do not take into account the new projects, can the right hon. Gentleman assure the House that when he announces his decision about these matters he will also state the cost falling on Her Majesty's Government in these respects during the coming financial year and the estimated cost over the next five years? As the right hon. Gentleman thought that I had tabled a Question about the Hawker Siddeley 681, would he answer my previous query about that?

Mr. Thorneycroft

What I have been proposing to do—I think it would be for the convenience of the House—is to make a comprehensive statement about these aircraft in the debate. I will include the Estimates point at the same time, but the Estimates are accurate for the forecast.

Sir A. V. Harvey

Will my right hon. Friend assure the House that he will make every effort to ensure that the requirements of the Navy in this respect are met from British home production and that the order does not go abroad even if it means some delay?

Mr. Thorneycroft

I will give full consideration to that. I do not want to prejudge the statement which I shall be making in some detail on a fairly wide front later.

Mr. Healey

Might I press the right hon. Gentleman on what he has just said—that the estimates are accurate for the forecast? Did he mean to imply that the Estimates already presented to the House include provision for these aircraft? If so, why on earth did he not announce his decision, since he has already taken it, in the Defence White Paper, instead of springing it on the House as a surprise in the defence debate and trying to distract attention from the obvious weaknesses of the White Paper as a whole?

Mr. Thorneycroft

Perhaps we can go into that in the debate.

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