§ Mr. Hillasked the Secretary of State for Defence what effect the reduction in the size of the surface fleet will have on ship availability; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. BlakerThe decision to cease lengthy mid-life modernisation of our destroyers and frigates and our plans for revised upkeep cycles will lead to improvements in the availability of individual ships. We assess at present that while the future surface fleet will be smaller the total number of ship-weeks available for all tasks should remain about the same as now.
§ Mr. Viggersasked the Secretary of State for Defence what further progress has been made on the work to reshape the support elements of the Royal Navy.
§ Mr. BlakerThe policy described in the White Paper "The United Kingdom Defence Programme", Cmnd. 8288, of reducing posts and establishments ashore and undertaking more training afloat had the aim of releasing maximum resources for front line combat capability.
Consultations are now being initiated with trades unions and, where appropriate, with local authorities and other interested bodies with a view to the closure of the following training establishments by the dates given:
Date HMS "Fisgard" (Torpoint, Cornwall) 1983 HMS "Phoenix" (Portsmouth) 1984 HMS "Excellent" (Portsmouth) 1986 HMS "Vernon" (Portsmouth) 1986 Fraser Gunnery Range (Portsmouth) 1986 HMS "Pembroke" will also close by 1983 as part of the naval base Chatham, whose closure was announced in Cmnd. 8288. In additon the function of HMS "Caledonia" at Rosyth will change by 1985 from that of a training establishment to that of a fleet accommodation centre. About 600 new jobs will be created at Rosyth as a result of the expansion of the dockyard.
The following table shows the new locations to which it is intended that the main training activities now carried out at these establishments will be transferred.
Officers and ratings of the Royal Navy are being informed of these developments today and I have arranged for a copy of a message from the First Sea Lord to the Fleet to be placed in the Library.
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Establishment closing Functions Moving to Date HMS Excellent (Portsmouth) Motor Transport facility HMS Dryad (Portsmouth) 1986 Underwater facility HMS Dryad (Portsmouth) 1986 Portsmouth Graphics Pool HMS Nelson (Portsmouth) 1986 Fleet & Portsmouth CD Teams Hornsea Island (Portsmouth) 1985 Diving Maintenance training HMS Sultan (Gosport) 1984 Photographic Section Tipner (Portsmouth) 1984 Admiralty Marine Technology Establishment (Experimental Diving Unit) School of Diving AMTE Alverstoke (Portsmouth) 1988 Heliport Portsmouth Naval Base 1986 Royal Navy Auxiliary Service Portsmouth Naval Base 1985 Naval General training Internal Security HMS Cambridge (Plymouth) 1985 Technical training group HMS Collingwood (Portsmouth) 1984 Leading Rates Leadership School HMS Royal Arthur (Wiltshire) 1984 Regulation and Divisional School HMS Drake (Plymouth) 1985 Weapons Systems Group HMS Daedalus (Lee on Solent) 1984 Joint School of Photography RAF Cosford (Wolverhampton) 1985 Naval Weapons Trials Portsmouth Naval Base 1985
§ Mr. Peter Lloydasked the Secretary of State for Defence what reduction in Royal Navy numbers, and what levels of redundancy, are now expected as a result of the policies announced last summer.
§ Mr. BlakerThe total uniformed strength of the Royal Navy, Royal Marines, Queen Alexandra's Royal Naval Nursing Service and Women's Royal Naval Service is expected to reduce to about 62,000 by 1986–87; a reduction of some 10,000 compared with 1892–83. This reduction will be made as far as possible through careful control of recruitment and natural wastage. Depending on the extent of natural wastage, up to 4,000 redundancies may be necessary over the period. As many as possible of these will be officers and ratings who have applied to leave early under the redundancy scheme.