Defence Policy.

Part of the debate – in the House of Commons at on 22 May 1935.

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Photo of Sir Philip Sassoon Sir Philip Sassoon , Hythe

It depends on what engagements they take up. Turning to technical equipment, the Government do not consider that is in the public interest to give the precise details of the additional aircraft and engines that we shall be ordering. The Committee will realise that foreign countries do not give us this information, and there are very serious disadvantages in its being made public. Our demands upon industry will be very heavy, and we have every reason to believe that the manufacturers will rise to the occasion. This will require very special attention, because it involves not only the problem of the immediate output which we need for the next two years, but also the wider problem, on which a great deal of preliminary work has already been done, as to the measures to be taken to ensure that industry can expand on a sufficiently big scale in the event, which we certainly all hope will not happen, of a serious national emergency. Here let me say that we fully appreciate the organisation of the German aircraft and engine industry. We fully realise that it is to be reckoned with very seriously, and steps to put our own industry on a firmer basis are to be taken without delay. Therefore, I am sure the Committee will have been glad to hear the Lord President say that my Noble Friend hopes to secure the invaluable assistance of Lord Weir, whose experience of these particular problems, and especially of an expanding aircraft industry is unrivalled.

It was suggested in the course of the Debate that if a large number of aircraft and engines are to be ordered, there will be a great risk of profiteering. Members will have heard in the Lord President's speech that this possibility has not been overlooked. We shall take every measure we can to prevent it. [An HON. MEMBER: "What?"] It is difficult to say exactly what measures, but it is a matter that will have to be looked into very carefully, and it will have the very closest scrutiny as to how orders are placed and with whom. There will be the closest liaison with the Treasury and business advisers.