HMS "Polar Circle": Future Name (Hansard, 14 May 1992)

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Ministry of Defence (Viscount Cranborne)
My Lords, the Royal Navy's new ice patrol ship will be renamed HMS "Endurance". HMS "Polar Circle", as she is at present called, will return to Portsmouth on 15th May, after a successful first deployment to the Antarctic. The change of name will take place before she commences her next deployment in the autumn. I hope that this decision will give much satisfaction to Members of this House who argued so eloquently before I was privileged to arrive here for retaining a name with distinguished associations with the South Atlantic. It gives me particular pleasure to think that the father of the noble Lord, Lord Shackleton, will be commemorated by naming the vessel HMS "Endurance", after the ship which he adorned so much in the past.

§ Lord Shackleton
My Lords, I express my appreciation of the actions of the Government, and express also my thanks to your Lordships because this is very much a triumph of the House of Lords which pressed hard on this matter. In particular, the previous Leader of the House and the present Government Chief Whip rallied very hard for this and this is a House of Lords occasion. I am very much appreciative of that I believe that all the former captains of HMS "Endurance" were in favour of this action. I believe that HMS "Polar Circle" is coming into Plymouth at the moment. If so, would it be possible in due course, when she is having her refit and new equipment, for her to come up the Thames? Some noble Lords have been on board the "Polar Circle"; but I am sure that other noble Lords would like to see that magnificent ship which has already done a fine job in the Antarctic.

Viscount Cranborne
My Lords, I am most grateful to the noble Lord for what he has said. It is a very good example of the respect with which government Ministers view the expressions of opinion voiced in your Lordships' House, and is further evidence that the Ministry of Defence listens carefully to what is said in your Lordships' House. I hope that that situation will continue. As regards the possibility of HMS "Endurance" paying a visit to London by sailing up the Thames, the noble Lord will be aware that she has a very busy programme this summer. However, I should like to keep the noble Lord's suggestion in mind, knowing what pleasure it would give not only to the noble Lord but also to me.

§ Lord Boyd-Carpenter
My Lords, is my noble friend aware that the very sensible decision which he has just announced is largely due to the determined action of the noble Lord, Lord Shackleton? Would he think it appropriate to congratulate the noble Lord on this extremely sensible and worthwhile achievement?

Viscount Cranborne
My Lords, I am grateful to the noble Lord, Lord Boyd-Carpenter, who, as so often before, has repaired an omission on my part. I certainly owe it to the noble Lord, Lord Shackleton, to congratulate him on his persistence and on his extraordinary knowledge of the subject. We are grateful to him.

§ Lord Chalfont
My Lords, will the Minister answer a question on the pleasant naval custom of having a lady sponsor for naval vessels? Is he aware that the lady sponsor of the old HMS "Endurance" has very close associations with that ship? Will he give an indication or an assurance that she will be invited to continue to be the sponsor of the new HMS "Endurance"?

Viscount Cranborne
My Lords, I am ashamed to say that I did not know that. I shall look into the matter at once and I shall write to the noble Lord—I hope sympathetically—in answer to his question.

§ Lord Williams of Elvel
My Lords, is the noble Viscount aware that I listened very carefully to his words about Ministers listening to what is said in your Lordships' House? Is he aware also that my noble friend Lord Shackleton conducted a campaign over several months on this subject supported from all sides of the House; for example, supported by the noble Lord, Lord Chalfont, the noble Lord, Lord Boyd-Carpenter and noble Lords on this Front Bench? I join with the noble Viscount in expressing my congratulations to my noble friend Lord Shackleton on the outcome.

Viscount Cranborne
My Lords, the noble Lord, Lord Williams, may feel that the wheels of government grind exceeding slow. However, my predecessor told the House as short a time ago as 23rd January that the decision would be taken before the "Polar Circle" returned to the United Kingdom. My announcement today meets that commitment.

Lord Morris
My Lords, while I welcome the clearly historical and indeed poetic sensibilities of Her Majesty's Government in renaming "Polar Circle", HMS "Endurance", such unstinted praise of government makes me extremely nervous. Can my noble friend say when the unseemly and totally counterproductive to the national interest interdepartmental wrangling over who bears the current account costs of HMS "Endurance" will finally end?

Viscount Cranborne
My Lords, it is perfectly clear that there is no interdepartmental wrangling on this subject. It is clear where the costs lie and a proportion of those costs, I regret to say in one sense, lies with the Ministry of Defence.

§ Lord Shackleton
My Lords, I appreciate the various remarks, including those of the noble Lord, 454 Lord Chalfont. However, I should like to make clear that it was Peter Scott and I who started this campaign while he was alive. While I appreciate the suggestion that the family might also take part in the naming of the ship, the important point is to have the ship, and have it with a name that is also well known in the Antarctic.

Viscount Cranborne
My Lords, I am grateful to the noble Lord for his remarks. However, I should like the House to take careful note of what the noble Lord, Lord Chalfont, suggested.