§ Mr. Thorneasked the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what long-term plans he has for the conversion of many of its factories and depots, in order to reduce spending on armaments and to preserve productive employment;
(2) whether his Department is prepared to allocate a significant fund towards the development of alternative employment proposals in the defence equipment industry;
(3) whether his Department is considering setting up an office of arms conversion.
§ Dr. GilbertWe need to sustain our current industrial and support capabilities to meets the needs of our defence programme.