HC Deb 27 April 1966 vol 727 c21W
14. Mr. Iremonger

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement explaining the rôle of Her Majesty's aircraft carriers in the Indian Ocean in recent weeks.

Mr. Healey

First H.M.S. "Ark Royal" and then H.M.S. "Eagle" have been engaged since early March in the surveillance operations covering the Mozambique Channel. The purpose of this surveillance has been to identify tankers suspected of carrying oil bound for Rhodesia. Both carriers and their aircraft have operated at full stretch under very arduous conditions and "Eagle" has broken the record for length of continuous patrol at sea by a British carrier in peacetime. The thousandth flight from "Eagle" took place yesterday.

Mr. Wall

asked the Secretary of State for Defence for how long H.M.S. "Eagle" and "Ark Royal" have been operating off the east coast of Africa; and for what purpose.

Mr. Healey

I would refer the hon. Member to the Answer I gave today to a similar Question by the hon. Member for Ilford, North (Mr. Iremonger).