MP
for Gosport, Peter Viggers, yesterday took part in Defence
questions in Parliament, and asked Armed Forces Minister,
Rt Hon Adam Ingram MP, about the effect of a lack of Government
orders for the new Type 45 ships.
The
full text of the exchange is set out below:
Peter
Viggers (Gosport) (Con): Will the Minister confirm that
only one third of all surface ships are available for deployment
at any one time due to the need to work up in advance and
refit afterwards? With the Government’s mothballing programme and lack
of orders for Type 45s, we are moving towards a position
whereby eight frigates and destroyers will be needed as
part of aircraft carrier task groups and no others will
be available for deployment anywhere else in the world.
Mr.
Ingram: I know that the hon. Gentleman is knowledgeable
about these matters, and I suggest that he looks into the
capabilities of the new Type 45s, which will be bigger
and have a wider role expected of them in regard to their
troop- carrying and air-defence capabilities. This is a
massive and significant step forward. We have consistently
said that the configuration of any embarked fleet will
take into account the allies alongside whom we will be
working, so the major initiatives that the carriers are
most likely to be engaged in, alongside their fleet protection
role, will be multinational. The hon. Gentleman should
know, and if he does not, I will repeat that this is the
largest warship building programme for 20 years, and credit
should be paid where it is due. The programme also requires
us to look at the existing ships in the fleet, and the
older ones that do not meet the high standards now required
by the Royal Navy will have to be considered with a view
to laying them aside and eventually decommissioning them.
Opposition
MPs reiterated concerns that the Government programme would
not provide sufficient capability for the Navy to meet
its commitments around the world.
Speaking
afterwards, Peter added, “Ministers repeatedly tell
us that the Type 45s are much more capable ships and this
is indeed true.
“However, even the most capable
frigate can only be in one place at a time and we could
therefore leave ourselves incapable of intervening whenever
danger arises.” |
