Aircraft (Hansard, 5 December 1955)

§ 2. Mr. Shepherd
asked the Minister of Supply whether he is now satisfied that the projects being handled by the British aircraft manufacturing industry have been reduced to a number that permits of the optimum utilisation of our resources.

§ Mr. Erroll
This is a matter on which it is unwise to be too dogmatic, but my right hon. Friend has the point much in mind in deciding how best to allocate contracts for aircraft projects required by the Ministry of Supply.

§ 4. Mr. Robson Brown
asked the Minister of Supply, having regard to the fact that £2,300,000 has been spent on the V.1000 aircraft and that the construction of the prototype is now in an advanced stage and could be completed within twelve months, whether he will consider the advisability of arranging for the completion of this aircraft; and if he will examine the possibility of arranging for the production of this aircraft in Northern Ireland, having regard to the employment situation there, and the need for keeping Great Britain fully competitive in the world aircraft market.

§ Mr. Erroll
The Answer to the first part of the Question was given last Monday by my right hon. Friend in reply to a similar Question by my hon. Friend. The Answer to the second part is "No, Sir." My right hon. Friend does not consider that the suggestion would be to the advantage of Northern Ireland or to the sales of civil aircraft.

§ 8. Captain Kerby
asked the Minister of Supply the specified unladen weight of the Vickers 1000 long-range jet aircraft at the time when this contract was first given by his Department to Messrs. Vickers; by how much this unladen weight had increased at the time of the withdrawal of the contract; and what has been the cost to public funds of the decision to alter the unladen weight specification.

§ Mr. Erroll
The specification for the the V.1000 called for a stated performance in respect of speed, range, payload,2W take-off and landing characteristics and other relevant factors, but in accordance with normal practice did not specify a particular unladen weight. It is not possible to say to what extent, if any, the increase in estimated weight of some 19 per cent. which in fact occurred led to a rise in the cost of the project to public funds.