§ Mr. Peter Griffithsasked the Secretary of State for Defence whether any decision has yet been made on the choice of a heavyweight torpedo for the Royal Navy.
§ Mr. NottI am glad to report that negotiations with Marconi Space and Defence Systems have now been satisfactorily completed. An order has been placed today with Marconi for the full development and intitial production of an advanced new heavyweight torpedo to replace the Tigerfish torpedo currently in service with the Royal Navy's submarines. This important new defence contract for British industry will be at a fixed price and will cover work on both the new heavyweight torpedo and the Sting Ray lightweight torpedo to a total value of about £500 million; and will ensure that the United Kingdom maintains its leading position in torpedo technology.