§ 2.53 p.m.
§ LORD KENNETMy Lords, I beg leave to ask the Government a Question of which I have given Private Notice; namely:
Why the Radar Research Station at Orfordness has been closed down without warning after only two years; how much the British taxpayer has put into it, and if they will make a Statement.
§ THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR DEFENCE (LORD CARRINGTON)My Lords, under agreements made in 1967 R.A.F., Orfordness, Suffolk, has been the location for a joint programme of long-range radio propagation research by the United States' Air Force in co-operation with United Kingdom authorities. Since this programme started new technical and scientific studies conducted in the United States have been more effective. In the light of this, it was decided that a further programme at R.A.F. Orfordness could not be justified and, consequently, that the U.S. Air Force would not renew the contract with R.C.A. Limited for the technical maintenance of the equipment as from June 30, 1973.
The British civilian employees of R.C.A. Limited have been given one month's notice, until the end of July, 1973. Urgent consideration is being given to the future of the site and the future employment of the British civilians employed by the Ministry of Defence and the Department of the Environment. Work on running down the installation is likely to last a further three or four months and some of the personnel will be needed for that period.
The United Kingdom capital contribution over the whole of the programme has amounted to £1.4 million. In addition, Her Majesty's Government have shared in the running costs, and our annual contribution has risen to a maximum of some £250,000 over the last twelve months.
§ LORD KENNETMy Lords, the House will be grateful to the Secretary of State for that Statement, but does it not remain very odd that a major research station should be closed down after only two years? Who can think that a 11 research station becomes useless after two years?—without any warning at all from one day to the next, instead of being phased out in the usual orderly manner? Can the Secretary of State tell the House whether or not this station has been closed as part of a deal between the United States and the Soviet Union?
§ LORD CARRINGTONMy Lords, the answer to the last supplementary question is, No. The reason why it has been closed is, as I said, that the United States have discovered better ways of doing what they were seeking to do at R.A.F. Orfordness. It is a great pity that the notice was so short, but of course it does not make any difference so far as the people there are concerned because the contract they entered into gives them a month's notice. It is a pity there was not more warning that this was going to happen, but this arises from the United States and their accounting procedures.
§ LORD SHINWELLMy Lords, can the Secretary of State for Defence say, in view of the answer heha s just given, whether the new technical devices which have made this radar site no longer necessary are to be made available to the United Uingdom Government?
§ LORD CARRINGTONMy Lords, all the information obtained from operating this research establishment with the United States was given to us, and we shall get other information from them.
§ LORD HARVEY OF PRESTBURYMy Lords, will my noble friend say whether the Opposition are now suggesting that more money should be spent on defence?
§ LORD CARRINGTONI wish it were so, my Lords.
§ LORD SHACKLETONMy Lords, would the noble Lord agree that his answers imply that he is regretful about the way this decision has been taken, and that if he had himself been fully in control it might have been done in a more orderly and decent way?
§ LORD CARRINGTONI did not mean to imply that, my Lords. What I was 12 trying to imply was that when you have to take a decision at short notice, even though you give a month's notice to the employees, as you are in honour bound and as the contract requires, it is better if you can give more time. It comes of course as a great shock to the people employed if there is no warning about what is going to happen. But I understand the difficulties of the United States. We all have our accounting difficulties.
§ LORD THOMASMy Lords, is the noble Lord aware that a month is a very long time in electronics technology?
§ LORD CARRINGTONMy Lords, I think it was the month's notice that was worrying people, not so much the month's technology.
§ LORD TREFGARNEMy Lords, can the noble Lord say how many British personnel will be made redundant by this closure?
§ LORD CARRINGTONMy Lords, R.C.A. Limited employ for the United States Air Force about 130 men.
§ LORD KENNETMy Lords, if I may have one last question, is it not the case that rather than a month's notice most of the men are on contract giving them three weeks' severance pay per year they have been there, and since of course nobody has been there for more than two years this is not very grand? Secondly, although I naturally do not wish to press the Secretary of State on anything which is classified, can he tell us what are the new means of research which are going to give better results than the Orfordness Station did in the past?
§ LORD CARRINGTONMy Lords, the noble Lord would be astonished if I answered the last part of his Question, as indeed would all your Lordships who know anything about defence; but it was a good try. With regard to the first question, I am told that the contract specifies a month's notice, but I understand there are also redundancy payments included in it. But this of course is primarily a matter between the contractor R.C.A. and the United States Air Force.