HC Deb 19 February 1991 vol 186 cc137-8
8. Mr. Cousins

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he will announce his decision on the replacement for the Chieftain tank.

14. Mr. Trotter

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects to be able to announce an order for a new tank to replace the Army's Chieftains.

The Minister of State for Defence Procurement (Mr. Alan Clark)

We had hoped to announce a decision on equipment for our future main battle tank fleet in the early spring. Hon. Members will appreciate that it would not be realistic to take such a decision at present and that it is sensible to defer it.

Mr. Cousins

Does not the Minister recognise that this further postponement, for perhaps as long as 18 months, on a firm decision on Challenger 2 puts at risk the jobs of many hundreds of people on Tyneside and in Leeds? Does not the Minister further recognise that those same people are working—and have been working for many months—to supply our forces with Challenger 1 tanks, which are now in the Gulf, with all the equipment that they need? Does not he realise that his answer means that those workers face the production line now and the redundancy queue later?

Mr. Clark

No. The hon. Gentleman's question is entirely unjustified. However, I join him in paying tribute to the workshops in those factories and to the tremendous support that they have given to the existing tank fleet in the Gulf. The figure of 18 months is pure invention by the hon. Gentleman and he should know better than to try to spread it round.

Mr. Trotter

Does my right hon. Friend accept that the same skill and dedication as have been shown in support of the Army in the Gulf by the work force at Vickers have gone into the design of Challenger 2? It has been designed specifically to meet the British Army's requirements for the future and it does meet them. Does he accept that we want the tank order to be placed with Vickers on the basis of our confidence in its capabilities and that an early decision is necessary to remove the present uncertainty in the plants in the north-east?

Mr. Clark

I certainly confirm that Challenger 2 has achieved all the thresholds that we put in place for it to satisfy. My hon. Friend will agree that, faced with the likely prospect of the first major armoured engagement since the Yom Kippur war, it would not be prudent to make a precipitate decision in advance.

Mr. Batiste

Does my right hon. Friend agree that many of our friends overseas who were planning to buy battle tanks for themselves have been very favourably impressed by the performance of Challenger, but that they are waiting to see the outcome of the United Kingdom competition? Will he bear that very much in mind in deciding his timing and so assist the company in building on the dramatic progress that has been made since the day that Vickers took over the royal ordnance factory at Barnbow?

Mr. Clark

My hon. Friend is right to draw attention to that point. The performance of Challenger 1 in the region has been impressive and the mean time between failures has greatly exceeded the figures that it was turning in in Germany. That has been apparent to a number of potential customers in the area who have noticed it favourably.

Mr. Cryer

Would not it be a good idea for the Government to consider the development of alternative uses of such factories to employ their great skills and equipment? Dependency on one product makes factories vulnerable. Surely the Government will examine the odious international arms trade after the cessation of Gulf hostilities in an attempt to curb that trade. That would stop our troops having British weapons used against them.

Mr. Clark

It is not the business of government to direct companies on the form of their commercial activities. The hon. Gentleman might care to make his point to the work force or have a quiet word with his hon. Friend the Member for Newcastle upon Tyne, Central (Mr. Cousins).