HC Deb 11 November 1965 vol 720 cc6-8W
Sir B. Janner

asked the Minister of Technology whether he will make a statement on the development of the hovercraft.

Mr. Cousins

Yes.

The development of the hovercraft has now reached an advanced stage.

During the last year a number of undertakings both in the U.K. and abroad have been operating small hovercraft carrying up to 38 passengers on regular services. In particular, over 100,000 passengers have been carried across the Solent in little more than three months, and the advantages of convenience and timesaving have resulted in the hovercraft becoming the preferred method of travel on this route for many business men.

Licences have been acquired by American and Japanese companies to manufacture hovercraft to British designs and patents, and other countries are starting developments of their own. But this country has by far the greatest experience of design, manufacture and operation of hovercroft, and I believe we still have a lead thanks largely to the ingenuity and determination of the inventor and the faith shown by the National Research Development Corporation and by the manufacturers and transport operators who have taken a stake in this field.

A major step forward is about to be taken with the production of the 150-ton SRN4—four times the size of the largest hovercraft so far built. A Swedish consortium has ordered two SRN4 for a cross-Channel service. I am now glad to announce that the Railways Board have decided to acquire experience of this important new means of transport, and they have accordingly obtained the approval of my right hon. Friend the Minister of Transport to negotiate for the first SRN4 to operate as a combined car and passenger ferry across the Solent starting in 1968.

Meanwhile, about 25 smaller passenger carrying hovercraft have been delivered or are on order; and a new lightweight and relatively cheap craft will shortly be put into production. The civil hovercraft industry is thus firmly established only seven years after the building of the first experimental pro- totype. The Government for their part intend to do everything they can to ensure the continuation of the pre-eminence we at present enjoy, and to promote the growth of the industry and the development of exports for which the potential demand is both large and widespread.