HC Deb 23 June 1981 vol 7 cc124-5
4. Mr. R. C. Mitchell

asked the Secretary of State for Defence whether he will now make a statement about the future naval shipbuilding programme.

The Under-Secretary of State for Defence Procurement (Mr. Geoffrey Pattie)

The size and shape of the future naval shipbuilding programme remain under consideration as part of the wide-ranging examination of the defence programme, currently under way. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence will make a statement on Thursday.

Mr. Mitchell

Is the Minister aware that, apart from the purely defence aspects, which we can discuss on Thursday, naval shipbuilding provides thousands of jobs in my constituency in Vosper Thorneycroft, in Yarrow and in other places and that any major cutback would have a serious effect on employment? Will the Minister take this opportunity to deny the ugly rumour that is circulating in my area that it is the intention of Her Majesty's Government to close the Royal dockyard at Portsmouth?

Mr. Pattie

Any rumours must await my right hon. Friend's statement on Thursday. All the considerations mentioned by the hon. Gentleman are being taken into account.

Mr. Alan Clark

Will my hon. Friend assure the House that, whatever he does to the shipbuilding programme, he will do nothing to affect shipbuilding and repairing capacity? In particular, can he confirm the key importance of the Devonport dockyard in an uncertain world where it is impossible to protect the future?

Mr. Pattie

Much as I would like to respond to my hon. Friend's request for confirmation, he and other hon. Members will probably have to wait for my right hon. Friend's statements on Thursday.

Mr. Stephen Ross

Will the Minister assure us that there will be adequate orders for the warship yards in the United Kingdom so that employment is maintained at least at its current level, even if those ships are not the types of ship which are being built now?

Mr. Pattie

Considerable importance is to be attached to the gaining of export orders, which I know the hon. Gentleman would support. That is another consideration which is being borne in mind.

Mr. George Robertson

We welcome the Minister, who was formerly responsible for the Royal Air Force, to his brand new portfolio in charge of the Royal Navy. He must be conscious of the reliance on naval ordering in the shipyards. When the decision is being taken this week, on which we expect an announcement, will the Minister bear in mind that the dithering that has characterised the Government's naval ordering policy over the last two years has already lost a considerable amount of our shipbuilding capacity? Can we be assured that the obsession with the Trident missile system will not further compromise the whole British shipbuilding industry and its reliance on naval ordering?

Mr. Pattie

There is no question of being obsessional about the Trident missile system. The hon. Gentleman's remarks will be noted in the appropriate quarter and all his comments will be taken into account.

Mr. Speaker

Question No. 5—

Mr. James A. Dunn

On a point of order, Mr. Speaker. Is it now to be the practice that when any Secretary of State gives advance notice of a statement that he will make to the House, that will preclude any questions during the normal Question Time—

Mr. Speaker

Order. I realise that the hon. Member was not called, but there were four supplementaries on one question.