Aircraft Orders

HC Deb 25 March 1964 vol 692 cc442-4

9. Mr. Stratton Mills

asked the Minister of Aviation whether it remains the policy of Her Majesty's Government, as stated in this House on 15th February, 1960, to concentrate Government orders for aircraft on the five major groups of the aircraft industry, except where specialised requirements or public policy make it necessary to do otherwise; and if he will give an assurance that the position of Short Brothers and Harland is still protected by the exception stated above.

Mr. Amery

The answer to both parts of my hon. Friend's Question is "Yes, Sir".

Mr. Mills

Will my right hon. Friend give an undertaking that the assurance which was given on that occasion will be honoured when the exact percentage of work which is to be sub-contracted to Shorts under the HS681 contract is being finalised by his Department?

Mr. Amery

I am not sure what is the implication of my hon. Friend's supplementary question. We have agreed that a substantial part of the 681 contract will be sub-contracted to Shorts.

Mr. Mills

May I help my right hon. Friend in underlining—[HON. MEMBERS: "No."]—is my right hon. Friend aware that the point of my previous supplementary question was to get an assurance that the undertaking that a substantial amount of work under the contract will be given to Shorts when the contract is fixed is fulfilled?

Mr. Amery

I would certainly hold to the term which I used—"substantial". I hope that my hon. Friend will accept the same definition of the term as I do when the decision is announced.

Mr. Cronin

As Americans and Italians are making aircraft for the British Armed Forces, can the right hon. Gentleman give us an assurance that he will try to concentrate orders on the British aircraft industry in future?

Mr. Amery

This has always been our policy. I remember being taken to task by the right hon. Member for Belper (Mr. G. Brown) not so very long ago for not buying American transports.

13. Mr. McMaster

asked the Minister of Aviation what steps he is taking to give effect to the Estimates Committee's recommendations relating to the placing of Government aircraft orders.

Mr. Amery

The recommendations in the recent Report of the Select Committee on Estimates on transport aircraft are being considered. We shall send our views on them to the Committee as soon as possible.

Mr. McMaster

Is my right hon. Friend aware that, in spite of several debates on aviation and defence, there has been no announcement of any aircraft projects, including particularly such projects as the replacement of the Shackleton, and that the Committee on Estimates recommended that there should be better forward planning if redundancy was to be avoided in the aircraft industry?

Mr. Amery

It is true that the Shackleton has been a versatile aircraft capable of a certain amount of transport work, but it can hardly be regarded as a transport aircraft in itself. We are doing our best to forecast transport development as far ahead as possible, but all foreseeable requirements are met up to the middle of the next decade.

Mr. Lee

Is the Minister aware that those of us who are keen that the British aircraft industry should be a great success are becoming more and more worried that, despite huge expenditure of public money, we are, apparently, not putting ourselves in a position to ensure that British products are bought and are the best for British aviation? Would the Minister agree that it is necessary to have far closer planning as between the fliers and the makers, with the Government taking a more active interest in what they can have than they are doing now? There seems to be growing in Britain a feeling that at the end of the day we have still not proved that we are getting value for money from the great public expenditure which is now entailed.

Mr. Amery

There is always room for improving the methods by which we approach these problems. The hon. Member would, however, be doing a disservice to the industry if he suggested that its condition is bad. I think on the contrary that it is extremely good, and the co-operation between industry, pilots and the Government is extremely close. No doubt there is room for improvement, but it would be a great disservice to suggest that the situatian is a bad one.

Mr. McMaster

Is my right hon. Friend satisfied with the forward planning of heavy strategic transport aircraft and that we have sufficient to meet our needs as far ahead as he has suggested?

Mr. Amery

I am in constant touch on this matter with my right hon. Friends the Minister of Defence and the Secretary of State for Air. They seem satisfied that the requirements are being met.