HC Deb 06 February 1996 vol 271 cc127-8
9. Mr. Pope

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent discussions he has had with his American counterpart concerning leasing American F16 aircraft. [12035]

Mr. Portillo

The question was discussed briefly during a meeting with him in October last year.

Mr. Pope

Will the Secretary of State confirm that the plan to lease American F16 aircraft was the brainchild of David Hart? Will he further confirm that the plan is bitterly opposed by the chief of the RAF, Air Chief Marshal Sir Michael Graydon? Does he agree that to proceed with the F16 will be a kick in the teeth for Lancashire aerospace workers who are working on the Eurofighter?

Mr. Portillo

I do not agree with any of that. It is a perfectly simple matter of ensuring that the United Kingdom has the best equipment for its defence. In deciding whether to upgrade the Tornado F3, it is necessary for us to make a comparison with the other courses that we might follow, which include leasing the F16.

If the hon. Gentleman is trying to tell me that, if the Labour party were in power it would not compare one option with another to get the best solution for the country, he would serve the country even less well than I had imagined.

Mr. John Greenway

Will my right hon. Friend go a little further and confirm the Government's absolute commitment to the Eurofighter project? In the long run, will that not give the RAF the multi-role aircraft that it needs for the future?

Mr. Portillo

Yes, my hon. Friend is right. The Government have on many occasions made clear their commitment to Eurofighter, and I am pleased to do so again today. Thanks to the good work of my hon. Friend the Minister of State for Defence Procurement, that project now has the green light. This discussion about the F3 and F16 is about how we fill the gap for that capability between now and the day that we have the Eurofighter. I am pleased to say that the latter will be an excellent aircraft for the RAF.

Dr. David Clark

Does the Secretary of State recall grumbling to his American counterpart just two weeks ago that Britain had placed defence orders worth more than £5 billion with the United States and arguing that it ought to reciprocate with some orders for British defence equipment? In the light of that grumbling, will he drop his obsession with this one-way deal to lease F16s, which will cost thousands of British jobs and be very expensive, as we shall have to adapt the refuelling arrangements and the aircraft will require new support systems?

Mr. Portillo

I went to Washington not to grumble, but to represent my country and to say that we demand a two-way street in defence procurement. It is true that, last year, we placed orders worth £5 billion with the United States and, therefore, we look to that country to buy defence equipment from us. I am pleased to say that it is buying at the rate of about £800 million a year, and I want to see more of that. The hon. Gentleman is the Opposition defence spokesman and he wants to hold my job. He cannot be so irresponsible as to say that, if he were in my position, he would not compare one project with another. If he is saying that, there will be no value for money and no way of ensuring that Britain has the defences that she requires.