Mr Patrick Wall: I congratulate my right hon. Friend whose announcement will have a good effect in my constituency. Is it not £100 million more than was in question when the original negotiations took place? Can my right hon. Friend confirm that it is wholly for the airbus project and not for any other project such as HOTOL?
Mr Patrick Wall: My hon. Friend has referred to additional costs. Would not the sterilisation of industrial land, certainly at South Killingholme and probably in the other areas, cost less than the amount required to follow the German or the Swedish system?
Mr Patrick Wall: It is a privilege to follow the right hon. Member for Cardiff, South and Penarth (Mr. Callaghan), whom I have admired and respected for many years for his contributions, not only to the House and the country, but to the Navy and Merchant Navy. I agree with every word that he said about the Merchant Navy. Two senior Privy Councillors from both sides of the House have made their view clear, as...
Mr Patrick Wall: I have heard of the replacement for the old Atlantic Conveyor and I believe that it is far better than some of the existing Royal Fleet Auxiliary ships today. However, the ships that I am speaking about must be designed to carry several helicopters and their crews with briefing rooms, adequate maintenance facilities and so on. That cannot be duplicated with the logistics supply role, which is...
Mr Patrick Wall: Labour Members do not intend to throw the Yanks out, but will tell them to take their nuclear weapons out, to take the F111s away and shut up Holy Loch. Does the Labour party think that the Americans would then stay here? Of course not, they would go home to America. The Leader of the Opposition was told that when he went to the United States. I believe that he is going there again. I hope...
Mr Patrick Wall: Is my right hon. Friend aware that these matters have been under discussion for some time and, therefore, feasibility studies are not very satisfactory? Is he also aware that the Royal Marines have lost the use of HMS Centaur and HMS Bulwark? It is essential to have two aircraft support ships in this package. How long will the study take? The ships are aging very rapidly and modern assaults...
Mr Patrick Wall: As we move towards zero-zero in intermediate weapons, are there any discussions with the Soviets on short-range nuclear weapons—the SS21, 22, 23 and 24—which must be linked with any reductions in intermediate weapons?
Mr Patrick Wall: I agreed with much of what the right hon. Member for Plymouth, Devonport (Dr. Owen) said, particularly at the beginning of his speech. I am concerned about the reduction in defence expenditure that has been announced by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State. Like the right hon. Member for Devonport, I believe that Europe is getting together—as all those in the North Atlantic Assembly...
Mr Patrick Wall: I do not really want to start an argument between my hon. Friend the Member for Wealden (Sir G. Johnson Smith) and the hon. Member for Woolwich. I said only that that report was extremely good. Indeed, my hon. Friend the Member for Wealden will agree with that.
Mr Patrick Wall: Before that intervention, I was saying that the Sub-Committee visited Geneva and found that progress on various aspects of arms control was not very encouraging. There seemed to be some chance of eventual agreement only in relation to chemical and bacteriological warfare. The first article of the proposed treaty banned the stockpiling, manufacture, possession or use of chemical or...
Mr Patrick Wall: That is right. My hon. and learned Friend is right. The Anglo-Dutch commando force has been there for about three or four years. Now the United States Marine Corps will have similar stocks positioned halfway down Norway which will be very effective. However, amphibious forces must be backed up by shipping. Since 1975 NATO shipping has declined by 36 per cent. I am told — and I believe it...
Mr Patrick Wall: The same can be said of Norway and Denmark, but they are non-nuclear powers. We are a nuclear power. There are only two nuclear powers in Europe, France and Britain. Does the hon. Gentleman want France to take the lead in Europe? If Britain, as a nuclear power, throws out not only its own weapons but those of its main ally as well, how can it possibly remain a member of NATO? The answer is...
Mr Patrick Wall: My right hon. Friend has not said anything about the ordering of the type 22 frigates. Unless they are ordered soon, my right hon. Friend will not be able to keep his promise to keep 50 destroyers and frigates at sea.
Mr Patrick Wall: When I hear the phrase, "social justice and freedom in Africa" I begin to wonder what kind of world the person speaking lives in because I cannot think of many, if any, countries in that continent which enjoy social justice and freedom. We are discussing apartheid, which is the denial of rights to the majority race. The issue becomes especially emotional because the minority are white. I am...
Mr Patrick Wall: I am just coming to that. We should give much more credence to Chief Buthelezi. I believe that his scheme of amalgamating K wa Zulu and Natal should be a good pattern for the future of South Africa. What is more, I believe that it is possible, as Natal is mainly English speaking. We should also remember that the Zulus are the most powerful tribe in. South Africa, especially if it comes to a...
Mr Patrick Wall: Is my hon. Friend aware that there is considerable anxiety that unless the Government order three type 23 frigates each year they will not be able to keep their promise to maintain 50 frigates and destroyers? Is he also aware that Fearless and Intrepid are getting very old and unless there are plans to replace them this year the future of our amphibious force is very grim indeed?
Mr Patrick Wall: It is clear from what was said yesterday and has been said today that every possible effort to deal with Libya by economic or other means has been made through the EEC and the United Nations. Any sanctions against Libya have failed because of the halfheartedness on the part of America's allies. Terrorism is spreading. We all agree with that. There have been about 28 Libyan-inspired attempts...
Mr Patrick Wall: Does not the wearing of protective clothing reduce the effectiveness of troops by 50 per cent., and is it not a fact that the Soviet Union ends all its exercises with either chemical or nuclear warfare, to which we have no answer? In the event of failure to reach an agreement at Geneva, should we not have these stocks as soon as possible?
Mr Patrick Wall: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State said that we are debating British cooperation in SDI research, and that is what I intend to do. I shall not make use of highly selective quotations as produced, by the Opposition. However, I understand that the Federal Republic of Germany is about to follow our example by signing an official agreement, so we are riot alone. I want to bring the...
Mr Patrick Wall: Is the hon. Gentleman satisfied with what has happened in Mozambique, Angola, Zimbabwe and many other countries, either economically or politically?
