HC Deb 15 July 1980 vol 988 cc1207-8
1. Mr. Hooley

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what is the estimated combined cost over the next five years of the Tornado procurement for the Royal Air Force and the Trident missile submarine system for the Royal Navy.

The Secretary of State for Defence (Mr. Francis Pym)

The total cost to the United Kingdom of an order of 220 production GR mark Is and 165 production F2s would be £4,270 million by the end of the decade. So far as a successor to Polaris is concerned, I hope to make a statement at 3.30 this afternoon.

Mr. Hooley

Is the Secretary of State aware that, with a quarter of a million boys and girls on the dole, that would be an extravagant and grotesque waste of public money? The Government would be better employed building the industrial power of this country rather than wasting their time on futile aspirations to nuclear power.

Mr. Pym

I am not sure whether the hon. Gentleman was referring to the Tornado or to the successor system. Both the previous Government and this are of the view that the Tornado aircraft is a necessary improvement to our RAF capability.

Mr. Nelson

Will not my right hon. Friend agree that the re-equipment of the Royal Air Force is an essential precondition of the employment of the young people to whom the hon. Member for Sheffield, Heeley (Mr. Hooley) refers and, indeed, to the security of the country? Will my right hon. Friend ensure that not only is this programme fulfilled at the earliest opportunity but that there is no delay, particularly in bringing the F2 into production? It is essential for our northern approach defences.

Mr. Pym

I agree with my hon. Friend that for our young people to have a safe and peaceful world in which to live it is necessary for us to have adequate defences to ensure that security.

Mr. Robert Atkins

Will my right hon. Friend recognise the fact that the RAF welcomes the introduction of the Tornado in both versions with a great deal of expectation? Is he bringing pressure to bear on our colleagues in NATO with a view to selling either or both versions of the Tornado, in due course, to those who may wish to buy it?

Mr. Pym

Once we have the necessary numbers in our Air Force and those of our allies, there is no doubt that there will be markets for this aircraft overseas. That is a matter to which, with our allies, we shall look.

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