§ 5. Mr. Wallasked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will take action to preserve the hull of HMS "Warrior". Great Britain's first iron warship, until she can be reclaimed and refitted in a similar manner to other historic ships.
§ The Under-Secretary of State for Defence for the Royal Navy (Mr. A. E. P. Duffy)My Department will not dispose of this historic ship until the possibility of preserving her has been fully explored, although there will be no defence requirement for the vessel, which is currently used as a floating jetty, after next April. I am, of course, aware of the strong public interest in preserving HMS "Warrior".
§ Mr. WallI am grateful for the Minister's reply. Does he recall that this vessel was the first of the Royal Navy's ironclads and therefore a progenitor of all modern warships? Will he do his best to try to persuade some society to take over the job, as was done in the case of "The Great Western" or the "Cutty Sark"?
§ Mr. DuffyI am grateful to the hon. Gentleman for acknowledging the Ministry of Defence's normal practice of not contributing to the preservation of historic ships, HMS "Victory" apart, but we share his concern. Happily, the country has been much assisted in recent years by the form of voluntary assistance to which he refers, and I shall certainly do what he asks.