asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the future of the Fleet Air Arm.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence whether a decision has yet been reached on the building of a new aircraft carrier.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what decision has now been taken on the purchase of aircraft carriers from the United States of America.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he has reached a decision on the ordering of one or more new aircraft carriers; and if he will make a statement.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what decision he has reached about the future carrier force of the Royal Navy; and whether he will make a statement.

I have nothing to add to the reply which I gave the hon. and gallant Member for Portsmouth, West (Brigadier Clarke) on 3rd November.

Does the right hon. Gentleman appreciate that the Fleet Air Arm enables Britain to exercise maritime strategy with maximum flexibility, and does he also appreciate that the morale of the Fleet Air Arm is being undermined by his delay in announcing the new aircraft carrier replacement programme?

I recognise the great service which the Fleet Air Arm does for the nation, but I think that the whole House would wish us to consider the matter carefully in all its aspects before taking a decision which might commit us for several decades.

Did the right hon. Gentleman authorise his hon. Friend the Minister of Defence for the Royal Navy to state last Friday that Her Majesty's Government are about to come to a decision on increasing Britain's carrier force, and if that is known to the right hon. Gentleman, why cannot the House be told the Government's decision?

I think that the right hon. Gentleman, who is a considerable expert in academic English, will know perfectly well that the statement that the Government are about to come to a decision means that the Government have not yet taken a decision. When the Government have taken a decision, the right hon. Gentleman and those behind him will be told.

If the decision has not been taken, how did the Minister of Defence for the Navy know that the decision would be about increasing the carrier strength?

A decision on whether or not to increase the carrier force is also a decision on whether or not we do not increase it.

During this prolonged period of uncertainty, can we at least be assured that design drawings are going on for the new carrier?

Yes, Sir. The whole process which started with the belated decision of the last Government in 1963 to go for a new carrier has been proceeding without interruption ever since.