§ 101. Mr. Callaghanasked the First Lord of the Admiralty if he will make a statement of Naval policy on the disposal of aircraft carriers and other fleet units in view of the concern felt in the Royal Navy.
§ Commander NobleIt has always been naval policy that when ships have reached a condition when further expenditure on modernisation and maintenance would not be justified, they should be disposed of, in order to allow resources to be devoted to newer ships. This policy is being followed particularly218W in the Reserve Fleet where, as stated in the Explanatory Statement on the Navy Estimates 1955–56, the emphasis is now being put on achieving a higher standard of readiness. As a result, this year some ships, including two aircraft carriers, have been disposed of and others will shortly follow. These ships are mainly of wartime construction and have all seen heavy service.