§ Mr. A. Lewisasked the Minister of Defence whether he will publish in Hansard a table of figures giving either the actual or estimated cost involved in initiating new defence proposals since 1951, where such proposals have been discontinued for any reason.
§ 1951 Mr. ThorneycroftI assume that the hon. Member is referring to projects in the military research and development programme. So far as cancellations of aircraft, aero-engines and missiles since 1951 are concerned, I would refer him to the reply given on 26th November by my right hon. Friend the Minister of Aviation to the hon. Member for Dudley (Mr. Wigg). In addition expenditure by the Ministry of Aviation on electronic items initiated since 1951 and subsequently cancelled amounted to some £2.7 million, of which £1.3 million is represented by a Balloon-borne Early Warning Radar and £0.73 million by a High Resolution Reconnaisance Radar. I should add that much of the expenditure on cancelled projects represents knowledge and experience which is used in further developments.
The major Admiralty and War Office projects initiated sinceand later cancelled are as follows:—
Project £m Compound Deltic Engine for Coastal Craft 0.72 Coastal Forces Gunnery Set 0.22 Underwater Sonar set 0.47 Medium Gun project: interim solution of 5.5 in. gun mounted on Centurion Chassis 0.18 24 pdr. Field Gun: Improved Carriage 0.22 Ministry of Defence, S.W.I. 4th December, 1963.