Mr Richard Ottaway (Nottingham North)

I am obliged to you, Mr. Deputy Speaker, for allowing me to address the House for the first time in this important debate. My constituency lies to the west and the north of Nottingham. It is a city with proud traditions which were so ably described by my hon. Friend the Member for Nottingham, South (Mr. Brandon-Bravo) during last week's debate on Second Reading of the Housing and Building Control Bill. I represent a largely residential constituency, and about 60 per cent. of the houses in it are council houses. I see many council houses being improved as the tenants buy them, which is a tribute to the right-to-buy policy.

As I have said, my consituency lies to the north of Nottingham, leaving the city's industries to the south. Those industries include the Boots organisation and the Raleigh bicycle factory. There are also the royal ordnance factories. To the north of the constituency is the small market town of Bulwell, which is geographically separated from Nottingham by the Babbington colliery.

Parts of my new constituency were previously represented by two well-known Members in the previous Parliament, Mr. Michael English and Mr. Bill Whitlock. Michael English was well known in the House as an expert on its constitution and the rules. I am sure that his departure will be lamented by both sides of the House and not least by yourself, Mr. Deputy Speaker. He was a parliamentarian to whom I pay tribute.

Mr. Bill Whitlock was liked and respected on both sides of the House. I was talking to a Conservative peer only last weekend and he told me that he worked with Bill for some time and found him to be one of the most pleasant and able of persons with whom he had worked. This became apparent to me in my constituency in a very short time. It soon became clear to me that he was liked and respected by many of my constituents. I am proud to be able to pay tribute to him on this occasion.

I am pleased to be able to speak in the debate for two reasons. Firstly, Nottingham has a great tradition of supporting the Royal Navy. This was evidenced early this year with the launching of HMS Nottingham, a very fine ship which brings great enjoyment to my constituents and to all those in Nottingham. They treasure their relationship with that ship. Secondly, I spent nine years in the Royal Navy. I joined in 1962 at the age of 16 and was commissioned four years later. I served on a complete cross-section of ships and had a variety of jobs in the fleet. I served on minesweepers, patrol craft, frigates and, latterly, HMS Eagle, the sister ship to the Ark Royal, which was not adapted to take Phantom aircraft. I served primarily as a deck officer on HMS Eagle but my sub-specialisation was air defence. Air defence officers sit in the ship's operations room and control the air defence battle. I operated the first seaborne air defence computer, which was designed and constructed by Ferranti. In the 1960s the computer was the size of the office in which I work, but such is the advance of modern technology that a similar computer can today be fitted into a filing cabinet and still carry out the same functions.

As an air defence specialist I watched with interest the events in the Falklands conflict last year. During the 1960s, and until HMS Ark Royal was phased out, it was accepted air defence strategy that the only way to stop a low-level missile attack was to destroy the launch aircraft before the missile was launched. A ship could not do that because the launch aircraft was always over the horizon and not detectable. The only solution was to have low-level intercept fighters controlled by airborne early warning aircraft that detected the incoming plane on radar and controlled the fighter to intercept the attacking aircraft long before the missile was launched. Hon. Members need not be reminded how sadly we missed airborne early warning aircraft during the Falklands conflict.

Much has been made of the next generation of ships and the type of weapon systems that they should have to control the threat of attacks from the Exocet and similar systems. Only one system will effectively deter a low-level missile attack and that is a controlled intercept-fighter aircraft. I view with suspicion claims that ship-launched missile systems could destroy a launched missile. I am not convinced that the Vulcan Phalanx gun is an effective defence against a low level attack. The only defence is an intercept figher controlled by an aircraft with an airborne early warning system.

I welcome the fact that the Searchwater AEW radar is being mounted on Sea King helicopters to provide an early warning system. That is probably the most significant development in the defence of the fleet since the Falklands. I note that the "Statement on the Defence Estimates" describes them as an interim option, but I welcome the fact that the system is to be developed and that the operational carriers will have a complete airborne early warning squadron. That is essential for the operation of the fleet beyond the range of the land-based airborne early warning aircraft.

There has been debate recently, which was highlighted in a "Panorama" programme last week, about the design of the type 23 frigate. My hon. Friend the Member for Portsmouth, South (Mr. Pink) mentioned that earlier. I was interested to read in the statement that an alternative design is being considered. The argument focuses on two hull designs, one long and thin and the other short and fat. I shall not examine the arguments for the two alternative designs except in one respect. When I left the Royal Navy, I joined the Royal Naval Reserve and commanded one of the Bird class patrol craft. Those vessels suffered primarily from a design fault in that they were short and fat. They were not seaworthy and, because of their short profile, in winds of more than force 5, 80 per cent. of the ship's company would be seasick and flat on their backs, and the ship could hardly be described as operational. Those limits were recognised by the Admiralty and the Minister of Defence. The reason why I tell this story is that I ask my right hon. Friend to give fullest consideration when considering the arguments for the alternative designs to the sea-keeping abilities of the vessels. If not, we shall have one of the most sophisticated warships in the world but the sailors will not be able to operate it, which completely defeats the object of the ship. That is a plea from the heart of someone who spent many an hour in the North sea hanging over the back of a short, fat ship.

I welcome the continued commitment to NATO in the statement. The fleet was always conscious of its duty to protect the western flank of Europe and the Channel. In our commitment to protect Europe, the Royal Navy has a role, and Britain has its strength in fulfilling that role. I support the statement and the motion.

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