HC Deb 25 April 1978 vol 948 cc1157-8
4. Mr. Blaker

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement about the recent operations of the Royal Navy task force in the Indian Ocean.

The Under-Secretary of State for Defence for the Royal Navy (Mr. A. E. P. Duffy)

The Royal Navy Task Group which crossed the Indian Ocean in March was on its way home to the United Kingdom after a series of visits to the Far East and Australia. While on passage through the area, the opportunity was taken to conduct routine exercises with ships of the United States and French navies.

Mr. Blaker

When the Under-Secretary visited the ships of this force, did he say, as has been reported, that as an economist he would not pay the Navy more because the Navy does not contribute to the national economy? What evidence can he cite that economists have contributed more in safeguarding the economy than the Royal Navy?

Mr. Duffy

There is absolutely no ground for that report or for the other report which appeared in the Daily Telegraph and was attributed to me. I pointed this out in a private letter to the editor. In so far as I entertain views on either of those two counts, as some Conservative Members know, I expressed those views publicly precisely to the contrary.

Back to
Forward to