§ Mr. Masonasked the Civil Lord of the Admiralty why it is taking such a long time to build the "Dreadnought" nuclear-powered submarine; and whether he will hold an inquiry to find out how best this type of construction can be speeded up.
§ Mr. C. Ian Orr-EwingH.M.S. "Dreadnought" was laid down in June 1959 and launched by Her Majesty on 21st October 1960; good 47W progress is being made and her construction is only very little behind schedule. The nuclear submarine is very much larger in size, power and diving capability and is altogether more complex than conventional submarines. The Board of Admiralty are naturally anxious to see building time reduced but we do not believe that an inquiry would show what further steps could usefully be taken.