Multi-role Combat Aircraft (Hansard, 21 May 1974)

§ 11. Mr. Thorne
asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a further statement on the development of the multi-role combat aircraft.

§ 25. Mr. Stanley
asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the multi-role combat aircraft.

§ The Under-Secretary of State for Defence for the Royal Air Force (Mr. Brynmor John)
Ground testing of the first MRCA prototype has been going well and the aircraft is expected to make its maiden flight very soon. Other than that, I have nothing further to add at this stage to the statement made by my hon. Friend on 9th April—[Vol. 872, c. 133-6.]

§ Mr. Thorne
Will my hon. Friend give some up-to-date figures of the cost of this aircraft? Does he agree that increasing credence is being given to a figure of£9 million? Why is it not possible to give the House an accurate estimate of what the cost will be?

§ Mr. John
On the first point raised by my hon. Friend, I am happy to be able to say that the figure of£9 million is a wild exaggeration. On the second 173 part of his question he will recognise, as my hon. Friend the Member for Stockton (Mr. Rodgers) said in the defence debate, that we are looking at what additional information can be disclosed to the House. It would be the object of my Department to reveal to the House as much information as possible.

§ Mr. Stanley
Does the Minister agree that other than the MRCA there is in Western Europe no military aircraft with a comparable performance to the MiG 23 which is already in service in the Warsaw Pact countries? Is not an inevitable result of not proceeding with the MRCA that it will force us to buy American or, alternatively, to accept a permanent aerial inferiority in Western Europe?

§ Mr. John
The problem in providing a cost-effective aircraft is always to match performance with cost. The hon. Gentleman is right to say that buying off the peg will not necessarily make the cost of defence to this country any cheaper.

§ Mr. Wellbeloved
Will my hon. Friend make available to the House figures for alternatives to MRCA, and will he clarify why the figures given in the Federal Republic of Germany include manning and ground support costs during a period of 10 to 15 years of operation of the MRCA? Does he not agree that the fly-away cost to the United Kingdom will be about£3-2 million per aircraft?

§ Mr. John
Until our study of these figures and the information which can be released are finalised, I cannot even reply to the siren voice of my hon. Friend the Member for Erith and Crayford (Mr. Wellbeloved). However, that information is being looked at and as much as possible will be released to the House.

§ Mr. Michael McNair-Wilson
Has the Secretary of State met his German counterpart since the election of the new German Chancellor, and is there any sign of the Germans changing their attitude towards the MRCA?

§ Mr. John
My right hon. Friend is meeting his counterpart tomorrow.