Part of Oral Answers to Questions — Defence – in the House of Commons at 12:00 am on 21 February 2000.
Quentin Davies
Conservative, Grantham and Stamford
12:00,
21 February 2000
Will the right hon. Gentleman take this opportunity to deny clearly and unambiguously the serious report in Warship World—which he knows is generally a well-informed magazine—to the effect that the Government are considering withdrawing HMS Invincible from service rather than giving it the refit that it will need? Contrary to all their public assurances, they have a covert plan to reduce our carrier fleet to two—long before the new large carriers are even contracted for. I shall give him a copy of the report, and hope that today the House can be told authoritatively exactly what the Government's plans are.