§ 6. Mr. J. H. Osbornasked the Minister of Technology what has been the outcome of his consultations with the Minister of Transport on the proposals of the National Research and Development Corporation to develop the hovertrain; whether Hovertrack Limited is to be set up; and what is to be the capital of the company.
§ Mr. OsbornIs the Minister aware that we get the impression that he has been dragging his feet? It is three months since we had a debate on this subject. This is an important matter, in which the French are making considerable progress. Will he consider Anglo-French co-operation in this matter?
§ Mr. BennThe second question will not arise until we have decided the main question. I would not accept for a moment that for the last few months our work on hovercraft has been held back. This is a very large proposal, involving substantial investment in a new form of rapid transit, and it is not only reasonable but right and necessary that it should be examined with great care.
§ Mr. David PriceWill the right hon. Gentleman in considering this question not allow the very successful work going on at British Railways Research Centre at Derby, on the high speed train using conventional track, to inhibit his consideration of the prospects of the hover-train principle, which many of us see coming in as the next generation after high speed trains?
§ Mr. BennI am grateful to the hon. Gentleman for those observations. Certainly one has to consider the development of all rapid transit systems, and try to see them equally, but the hovercraft principle as applied for train purposes has undoubtedly a very big potential.