HC Deb 02 December 1974 vol 882 cc335-6W
Mr. Trotter

asked the Secretary of State for Defence, having regard to the recent trebling in oil fuel costs, if he will now undertake a review of the practicability of constructing nuclear-powered surface warships for the Royal Navy following the example of the United States Navy.

Mr. Judd

A recent review of energy resources and their relationship to warship propulsion policy, which took account of the sudden rise in oil prices, has shown that for the foreseeable future nuclear propulsion has no advantages over coventional methods of propulsion other than for submarines and large surface warships. The continuing validity of this conclusion will, however, be examined at the design stage of each new class of ship.