Second Day's Debate

Part of Orders of the Day — Defence – in the House of Commons at 7:28 pm on 1 July 1986.

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Photo of Mr Lewis Carter-Jones Mr Lewis Carter-Jones , Eccles 7:28, 1 July 1986

They will pick up that at which we are superb. They will seem to pay an attractive price, but if what they are buying is intelligence and knowledge, it may turn out that they have bought it very cheaply.

In 1944, towards the end of the war, I was using what was probably the most advanced airborne avionics in the world at that time — the mark 10 air interceptor equipment. We had a tremendous lead at that time, but somehow or other that lead was lost and that know-how went to another country. We should try, to the best of our ability, to preserve leads in that field.

The Minister should not be too worried about the fact that the Americans refer to the financing of the airbus and say that they do not do things like that. Last month, in the presence of the hon. Member for Tayside, North (Mr. Walker), I saw the new engine for the Boeing 7J7, which is to be a prop jet, fitted to a Boeing 727, starboard side. This is the new generation engine. The letters NASA, in big print, spell National Aeronautics and Space Administration to me. No one will convince me that NASA is an example of private enterprise. It is not. If there is ever a chance to put defence money into British research, the Minister should do so willingly and openly.

The horizontal take-off and landing launcher —HOTOL —is supposed eventually to take us to Australia in 45 minutes. I cannot think of anyone who would wish to get there that quickly.