§ 18. Mr. Brooksasked the Minister of Technology what is the estimated extra cost to the Concorde development programme of the delays in flying the French prototype; and whether such extra cost will be shared equally between France and Great Britain.
§ Mr. BennThe causes of the delay are complex and it is not practicable to isolate them and give an estimate of the effect on the cost of the programme as a whole. The risk of delay in first flight is one of the contingencies for which allowance is made in the overall cost estimate which is kept under continuous review. The costs of the programme will be shared equally between the two Governments.
§ Mr. Hugh Jenkinsasked the Minister of Technology on what detailed investigations and calculations he bases his estimate that 450 Concordes will be sold.
§ Mr. StonehouseNeither my right hon. Friend nor I have made a forecast of the total number of Concordes likely to be sold, although our view is that it will be a substantial number.