§ 25. Mr. Crouchasked the Minister of Technology what will be the total cost to the Government of the Hovercraft Exhibition and Operational Display to be held at Browndown, near Gosport, between 15th and 19th June.
§ Mr. ShoreMost of the cost of the Hovercraft Exhibition will be born by the industry, but Hovercraft Development Ltd.—the subsidiary company of the N.R.D.C.—will be spending £4,000 on its exhibit. Several Departments are co-operating in the Exhibition, but the only expenditure which it has been possible to estimate would not amount to more than £2,000.
§ Mr. CrouchIs the Joint Parliamentary Secretary aware of the growing concern in the country that the development of the 203 Hovercraft is being held back by lack of orders for Hovercraft by the Services?
§ Mr. ShoreI am not aware of that, but if the hon. Gentleman has a Question to table on this aspect of Hovercraft it should be addressed to my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence.
§ Sir Ian Orr-EwingAs the Joint Parliamentary Secretary has finished answering Questions very ably, will he report to his right hon. Friend that when he is top of Questions he should, in spite of invitations to visit other countries, do his best to attend the House?
§ Mr. SpeakerOrder. There are still a lot of important Questions on the Order Paper.
§ Sir Ian Orr-EwingOn a point of order. Back benchers seek your guidance, Mr. Speaker, on how the rights of the House can be protected, because Parliamentary Questions have been a sacrosanct tradition of the House and in the past Ministers have always done their best to be here.
§ Mr. SpeakerI wish the hon. Gentleman would take my advice and raise this point at the end of Questions. I think hon. Members have made the House aware throughout this series of Questions of the issue which the hon. Gentleman refers to.