HC Deb 10 March 1978 vol 945 c797W
Mr. Trotter

asked the Secretary of State for Defence why the cost of the Nimrod aircraft used on offshore fishery protection work is borne by civil funds but the cost of the inshore protection squadron of warships is not, when in both cases there is a primary war role and in his answer of 28th February to the hon. Member for Tynemouth he gave the primary war role of these warships as a reason for their costs being borne by the defence budget.

Mr. Duffy

Although both the Nimrod fleet and the coastal fishery protection fleet have a primary war role, it was necessary to add four extra Nimrods to the front line to enable the Nimrod fleet as a whole to meet the offshore protection task. The running costs of these four aircraft, which would not otherwise arise, are therefore being met by the Civil Departments concerned.