CONFIDENTIAL
B
Background and Argument
3.
For the last six months, ever since the Ministry of
Defence showed us a paper which recommended the replacement of ENDURANCE in 1995 and described some broad specifications for this, we have been trying in vain to
become involved in the debate about the ship's future. Two letters at Under-Secretary level requesting
consultation have received no reply from the MOD. The
South West Atlantic Group (SWAG), led by Lord Shackleton,
has failed repeatedly to get any information from MOD Ministers. But the SWAG has been given a great deal of unofficial, reliable, information all of which has pointed to a firm intention to scrap ENDURANCE in the middle of
this year.
Three weeks ago I was invited by Vice Admiral Hill-Norton to accompany him on a visit to ENDURANCE for a briefing by the Captain on his most recent voyage. But
the visit was cancelled because of what the Vice Admiral
described as "other developments". This reinforced my
view that some announcement was imminent.
4. It is now clear that the MOD hoped to announce the
withdrawal of HMS ENDURANCE before other Whitehall Departments, particularly the FCO, had the time properly
to consider the matter. I note that the Defence
Secretary's minute had been in the FCO only a few hours
when Lord Arran said in the House of Lords (late on 11
June) that the Foreign Office had been "fully consulted"
together with other departments.
5.
In the last few days Lord Shackleton has been in touch with me and other officials on a number occasions. He claims that well placed sources have told him that it was the Ministry of Defence's intention to tell the crew
CONFIDENTIAL