HL Deb 22 January 1974 vol 348 cc1283-4
LORD MOLSON

My Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.

The Question was as follows:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what will be the estimated price of aircraft fuel when increases already announced by the Arab States have taken effect; what would then be the cost of fuel for one crossing by a Concorde aircraft from Heathrow to Kennedy Airport; and how this would compare with the cost of a crossing by a Boeing 747B.

LORD ABERDARE

My Lords, in present circumstances the precise effects that increases in crude oil prices will have on aviation fuel prices cannot be determined. For the purposes of comparison, however, the cost of fuel for a crossing from Heathrow to Kennedy Airport by a Concorde aircraft would be around 90 per cent. of that for a crossing by a Boeing 747B.

LORD MOLSON

My Lords, in view of the fact that there were no orders, except from Britain and France, for the Concorde aircraft before the rise in fuel prices, will the Government now consider ceasing to throw good money after bad?

LORD ABERDARE

My Lords, the only situation that has changed has been in the price of fuel, and it is far too early to take any kind of decision on this matter. The Minister for Aerospace and Shipping has already said that he will be reviewing the position again jointly with his French colleague in the light of studies presented by the manufacturers. This review will take account also of the fuel situation.

LORD BESWICK

My Lords, if we are going to make comparisons between one aircraft and another, ought we not to make comparisons of like with like? Is it not the fact that Concorde is the only aircraft in the world that has been designed to carry essential travellers; and ought we not now, with the shortage of fuel supplies, so to allocate our fuel supplies that we use it for essential purposes?

LORD ABERDARE

My Lords, I thank the noble Lord; he has put an opinion with which I thoroughly agree.

LORD THOMAS

My Lords, does my noble friend agree that the money spent on Concorde is bad?—because I do not.