HC Deb 04 March 1969 vol 779 cc212-3
Q3. Mr. Brooks

asked the Prime Minister whether he will invite President de Gaulle to Great Britain to discuss the future of the Concorde project.

Q6. Mr. Dalyell

asked the Prime Minister whether he will invite President de Gaulle to London to discuss the future of the Concorde.

The Prime Minister

I have no plans to do so, Sir.

Mr. Brooks

That is another pleasure forgone. Will my right hon. Friend agree that despite the justified pride and pleasure which the British and French people feel in the maiden flight of the Concorde last Sunday, it is necessary to recall that the costs of the venture left the ground long ago, at an even higher rate of climb? Is it not therefore important that in judging the commercial success of this venture we should know what proportion of the research and development costs it is intended to recover by a levy on sales?

The Prime Minister

I am sure that the House will join my hon. Friend in the pleasure and satisfaction of the success of the first flight. There are many more developments to be overcome in the purely technical and proving stage, but my hon. Friend will be aware that my right hon. Friend the Minister of Technology has given a series of answers over the last few months on the question of what is being done to evaluate the economic prospects of the aircraft. The development costs have escalated, and naturally both Governments wish to be satisfied about the economic viability of the aircraft as a production job.

Mr. Dalyell

Is my right hon. Friend aware that some of us who, until 1967, were less enthusiastic about Concorde, now feel that it ought to go into production, provided that the technical and proving aspects are all right?

The Prime Minister

My hon. Friend will be aware that, as my right hon. Friend said, the test must be whether it looks like being a commercial success. There has been a strong lack of enthusiasm about the escalation of the costs, and at the same time a great deal of pleasure at the technical success of the plane up to this point. We have to be satisfied about its commercial viability before either Government would want to go forward.

Mr. Fortescue

Would not the Prime Minister agree that 1969 should be declared a close season for Concorde knocking?

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