§ 8. Mr. Goodhewasked the Secretary of State for Defence what changes in the rôle of the Royal Air Force have been made to enable it to use Buccaneers as the backbone of its strike reconnaissance capability between now and the late 1970s.
§ Mr. John MorrisOur defence effort will in future be mainly concentrated in Europe and the Buccaneer will provide a satisfactory overland strike/reconnaissance aircraft in the European theatre until the middle seventies. Following the phasing out of the carriers, the Royal Air Force will take over from the Royal Navy responsibility for operating Buccaneers in the maritime strike rôle.
§ Mr. GoodhewIs not the hon. Gentleman aware that only last year the Under-Secretary of State for Defence for the Royal Air Force made it clear that the V-bombers required supplementing by a Spearhead type aircraft, which was to be the F111, and that the cancellation of the F111 left a serious gap? The Under-Secretary said, further, that the Buccaneer Mark II was not in the same class as the F111. How can the hon. Gentleman pretend 428 that the R.A.F. can carry out the same rôle now?
§ Mr. MorrisThe hon. Gentleman is aware that although the F111 would have remained operationally viable beyond the middle 1970s, and although the Buccaneer has some shortcomings as compared with the F111 range, they are of less importance now that the emphasis of our defence effort is concentrated in Europe.