§ Mr. Edelmanasked the Secretary of State for Defence what discussions he has had with the manufacturers of the Hawker Siddeley Harrier concerning its future development and production; what support he proposes to give to its production; and whether he will make a statement.
§ Mr. William RodgersThere are close and continuing discussions between my Department and Hawker Siddeley regarding possible future developments of the Harrier. A decision on a maritime version for use by the Royal Navy will be taken as soon as possible in the context of the Defence Review. Studies have also been carried out by Hawker Siddeley Aviation and McDonnell-Douglas and Rolls-Royce (1971) Ltd. and Pratt and Whitney of an advanced Harrier in collaboration with the United States Government.