§ Mr. Fisherasked the Secretary of State for Defence whether it is his policy to redesign the P1127 fighter, in order to improve its performance; how long this would take; and approximately what additional cost will be involved.
§ Mr. HealeyThe intention is to develop the P1127 to the minimum standard necessary to make it suitable for operation with the Royal Air Force and to complete this work in time to ensure the introduction of the aircraft as a partial replacement for the Hunter before the end of the decade. The cost and scope of the development are still the subject of detailed study but both will be closely controlled.