§ Mr. Trotterasked the Secretary of State for Defence when HMS "Mermaid" was acquired and at what cost; at what dates she has since been refitted; what has been the cost of each refit; and why she is now to be disposed of.
§ Mr. DuffyHMS "Mermaid" was originally ordered by Ghana in 1964, but in 1971, following agreement with the then Government of Ghana, the out-standing546W balance of her construction costs was written off by Her Majesty's Government. She was acquired by the Royal Navy in 1972 at no cost to Defence Votes. HMS "Mermaid" had a normal refit in 1973–74 at a cost of £1036 million. The main reason behind the decision to dispose of her, which was taken last year, was the problem of supporting a ship of her unique type within the Fleet.