The Royal Navy

Part of the debate – in the House of Commons at 4:39 pm on 28 November 1983.

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Photo of Mr Robert Atkins Mr Robert Atkins , South Ribble 4:39, 28 November 1983

I cannot listen any longer to the hon. Gentleman wriggling in response to this question. I shall pose it again. How does he justify the cuts that his party talked about during the last election campaign, together with his assertion that he would curtail defence spending to that of an average of NATO, and yet argue, as he is now, that we should keep dockyards open and spend more on ships and equipment throughout, when the answer that he may give about Trident represents about 7 per cent. of the overall defence budget? It does not add up.