HC Deb 13 May 1986 vol 97 c551
16. Mr. Ashdown

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the replacement of the amphibious ships HMS Fearless and HMS Intrepid.

Mr. Stanley

I refer the hon. Gentleman to the reply which has just been given by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State.

Mr. Ashdown

Does the Minister realise that the life of those important capital ships is fast coming to a close? [Interruption.] Unless a decision is taken soon on this matter, Britain's capacity to fulfil her NATO tasks on the flanks of NATO will be severely impaired. If he will not announce a decision now, will he at least announce when he will announce a decision or announce something that will help us in this matter?

Mr. Stanley

The life of those ships is not fast coming to a close, because Intrepid has just been refitted and Fearless will refit next year.

Mr. McNamara

I am sure that the Minister of State has enjoyed, as we have, the keenness of both wings of the alliance to get the headlines on those two ships. It is perhaps the only defence issue on which they are united.

Does not the postponement of decisions on those two ships, together with the postponement of other decisions, show the extent to which Trident is squeezing out the conventional defence of the United Kingdom? Are we not now witnessing the Army, and the Navy in particular, suffering at the expense of Trident expenditure as Ministers postpone decision after decision, hoping to be saved from them when they lose the next general election?

Mr. Stanley

I do not agree with the hon. Gentleman on postponement. We have been saying for a long time that the decisions on the replacement of amphibious shipping will be taken this year. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has just repeated that.