§ Mr. Wingfield Digbyasked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what research he has conducted into the cheapness in relation to oil of nuclear propulsion for ships of 80,000 shaft horse power and over; and whether he will now give some encouragement for the building of such ships in the United Kingdom.
§ Mr. RidleyThe Nuclear Ship Study published in April, 1971, concluded that nuclear merchant ships would not become economically viable in the foreseeable future and that no Government support should be made available for a nuclear 27W ship project. In the relatively short time since then there has been no change sufficient to warrant re-appraisal of these conclusions.