THE CIVIL AVIATION AUTHORITY: NEW RADARS (Hansard, 17 April 1980)

§ Lord ORR-EWING
My Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.

§ The MINISTER of STATE, DEPARTMENT of INDUSTRY (Viscount Trenchard)
My Lords, the CAA needs to buy new radars for use in the national air traffic services. It is for the authority to choose its own suppliers. They have received offers but I understand that the main orders have still to be placed.

§ Lord ORR-EWING
My Lords, I thank my noble friend for that reply. In making the decision, will Her Majesty's Government bear in mind that the electronics industry, making capital goods, exported some £500 million worth last year. This British industry does not ask for any special concessions. It just wants the same consideration by the Government here as is given by the Governments of the United States, France and Germany, where its competitors come from.

§ Viscount TRENCHARD
Yes, my Lords, the Government and the CAA are aware of the export performance of this industry as a whole and of the ground radar section of it, whose record is impressive. An important consideration is the practice of other countries in relation to these high technology industries, and both the CAA and the Government are aware of that.

§ Lord LEATHERLAND
My Lords, are the Government aware of the fact 404 that some of the reputable newspapers have indicated that this contract is likely to be placed abroad? Would not that be a great pity both for the people working in the industry in this country and for the export possibilities?

§ Viscount TRENCHARD
My Lords, I do not really want to add to what I have already said, in view of the fact that the main orders have still to be placed.

§ Lord WYNNE-JONES
My Lords, is it the intention of Her Majesty's Government always to ensure that foreign companies have an advantage over this country?

§ Viscount TRENCHARD
No, my Lords.

§ Lord HANKEY
My Lords, in considering this problem, will the Government bear in mind that it is very difficult to sell this sort of equipment abroad unless we are known to buy it ourselves? Therefore the effect on employment is many times greater than that represented by the orders which the Government will place, important as those are.

§ Viscount TRENCHARD
My Lords, certainly that consideration is in the minds of the Government and, once again, of the CAA. This is a Government, so far as possible, of non-interference and of allowing major purchasing authorities to exercise their own correct discretion in areas about which they know a great deal. Nevertheless, it is in their interests to have strong home industries in any longterm sense. It is certainly the view of Her Majesty's Government that public purchasing authorities will take that long-term interest into account.

§ Lord SHINWELL
My Lords, on the original Question, which I know the Minister prefers, can he say whether there is any military connotation? If so, why the delay in placing the orders?

§ Viscount TRENCHARD
My Lords, there is a connection with the MoD radars because the existing system uses part of the same defence radars, but the future plan for these radar orders is based, virtually exclusively, on civil air traffic.

§ Lord ORR-EWING
My Lords, will my noble friend study the memorandum which has been sent to him from the Electronic Engineering Association which underlines very clearly the dangers which have been voiced in other parts of the House, that we may be moving towards a de-industrialised Britain if we always buy foreign goods at the cheapest possible rate?

§ Viscount TRENCHARD
Yes, my Lords.

§ Lord WHADDON
My Lords, is the noble Viscount aware that when civil aircraft become lost, as they occasionally do, it takes anything from 10 to 20 minutes to locate them in the absence of automatic fixing apparatus working on the VHF frequencies? Will this new radar apparatus speed up the process, which is vitally needed, or shall we still need automatic location equipment, working on VHF frequencies?

§ Viscount TRENCHARD
My Lords, the noble Lord has me out of my depth, but I am quite clear that the CAA intends the radar system to be among the most advanced possible with modern technology.