AEROSPACE INDUSTRY: FUTURE PROJECTS (Hansard, 6 February 1973)

§ LORD HARVEY OF PRESTBURY
My Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.

§ THE MINISTER WITHOUT PORTFOLIO (LORD DRUMALBYN)
My Lords, the Government are currently considering requests for support for two new civil aircraft projects. These are the Hawker Siddeley HS 146, a quiet 70 to 100-seat feeder liner with reduced takeoff and landing characteristics, and the SD3–30, a 30-seat passenger/freighter aircraft developed from the existing Short Skyvan. The Government have not been asked to consider assistance to any civil aero-engine project in addition to those already in hand. On military projects, I would ask my noble friend to await the publication of the Defence White Paper later this month.

§ LORD HARVEY OF PRESTBURY
My Lords, is my noble friend aware that what he has just said amounts to very little? Will he bear in mind that the British aerospace industry is at the present time exporting some £400 million worth of equipment a year, and that if this is to be maintained we shall need a more far-reaching programme? Will my noble friend take into account that in the case of the Harrier, the vertical take-off aircraft, 100 of which have been sold to the United States, none has been ordered by the British Government? Why are we not pursuing a supersonic Harrier? In this field, of couse, we have a lead on the world. Why not follow it up and really get going? I would ask my noble friend to discuss this with his colleagues and to come out with a forthright statement with a view to keeping Britain in the lead. Will he even consider Mark II of the Concorde? Having got the lead we have, should we not follow it up?

§ LORD DRUMALBYN
My Lords, I sympathise greatly with my noble friend's wish to keep Britain in the lead in this field but, of course, the Harrier is not a civil aircraft, and it is only on civil aircraft that I can answer at the moment. My noble friend will be aware that, on the civil side, the initiation of new projects is a matter for manufacturers, and that the Government are ready to consider on their merits requests for launching aid for projects which have promising economic prospects. I should add, of course, that discussions are going on at present about prospects for new projects in co-operation with Europe, but these have not reached the stage about which the noble Lord is asking here, which concerns projects which are under consideration by Her Majesty's Government.

§ LORD SHACKLETON
My Lords, may I ask the noble Lord why he is answering only for civil projects? Does everything in the military field have to be saved up for the Government Defence White Paper? Is he not speaking for the Government as well as for his own Ministry?

§ LORD DRUMALBYN
Yes, my Lords, I am speaking for the Government. That is why I invited my noble friend to await the publication of the Defence White Paper; and I hope that he will do so.

§ LORD HARVEY OF PRESTBURY
My Lords, will my noble friend tell me how far work has proceeded on the development of the Mark II Concorde? I understand that a considerable amount of work has been done and money spent. Is this being considered? It is no use going alone with the Mark I; we must go a stage further. We must show strength and courage to lead the world with this great aircraft.

§ LORD DRUMALBYN
My Lords, the fact is that there are at present no proposals before the Government for supersonic development beyond the current Concorde aircraft.

§ LORD WYNNE-JONES
My Lords, have the Government had no requests to look into the development of V/STOL aircraft?

§ LORD DRUMALBYN
No, my Lords; this is still something for the future. We are at present concentrating on a "reduced STOL".

§ LORD WYNNE-JONES
My Lords, is the noble Lord aware that the whole problem of airport development is vitally bound up with the question of whether V/STOL is developed or not?

§ LORD DRUMALBYN
My Lords, that is quite true; but as I have said, we have not yet received proposals for consideration of VTOL aircraft on the civil side.

§ LORD SHACKLETON
My Lords, could the noble Lord say what "reduced STOL" means?

§ LORD DRUMALBYN
My Lords, I thank the noble Lord. I should have said RTOL.

§ LORD BURNTWOOD
My Lords, did I understand the noble Lord to say that the initiative for civil aircraft must come from the manufacturers? Surely this is not so in the case of the European airbus; although it is true of the American project. In not having a large capacity civil air transport machine, are we not in danger of allowing the whole situation to get out of control?

§ LORD DRUMALBYN
My Lords, in considering international co-operation in this field, it is true that the Government play their part. As I have said, we are 967 at present considering United Kingdom participation in new projects within the next few years. These include a Europlane, a Q RTOL which is a "quiet-reduced Tot". There are also other possibilities of co-operation with America and the use of the RB.211.