§ 43. Sir Ian Orr-Ewingasked the Minister of Technology when he expects to announce the cancellation charges for the F111, the Chinooks and Buccaneers.
§ Mr. FowlerDiscussions to assess and agree these charges will inevitably take time. I regret I cannot say when we expect to be able to make an announcement.
§ Sir Ian Orr-EwingIs the hon. Gentleman aware that the cancellation of the F111 took place five months ago as a result of devaluation? Is it not time that the Government had some sense of urgency, since that single cancellation may well cost as much as £55 million in dollars for which we have nothing? Is it not time that this matter was resolved between the British and American Governments?
§ Mr. FowlerThe hon. Gentleman's sense of urgency is a little misplaced. The United States authorities are currently assessing how much of our cancelled programme can be utilised in the manufacture of F111s to meet their needs. It is clearly in our best interests that they should be given adequate time to undertake this complex assessment before we reach agréement with them on the cancellation charges of the F111.