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Eastern Europe: Pollution
[10 JULY 199!]1
HMS "Endurance“: Future
Viscount Astor: My Lords, we have a substantiai programme of environmental protection in this ountry which is much greater than that which we are offering to any country in Eastern Europe.
2.48 p.m.
HMS "Endurance": Future
Lord Shackleton asked Her Majesty's Government:
When. in view of the leading role of the United Kingdom in the Antarctic Treaty and current negotiations to agree a protocol regarding minerais exploitation. they will announce their decision on the future of HMS &Endurance& and on the procurement of a modern replacement.
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The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State. : Ministry of Defence (The Earl of Arran): My Lords. HMS "Endurance has entered her routine mainte- nance period on return from the Antartic. She will have an extensive structural survey during this period and a decision on her deployment this winter will clearly depend on the results of that survey. The requirement for a replacement is being considered and no decision has yet been taken.
Lord Shackleton: My Lords. the noble Earl will be aware of the reply given in another place in which doubts were expressed particularly with regard to the metallurgical examination of a plate; yet the vessel had a full and extensive survey before she went south in 1990. What has now happened to cause the doubts on the part of the Government with regard to HMS “Endurance"?
The Earl of Arran: My Lords. as I have just said. HMS "Endurance entered a docking period last month. This is a routine docking period to prepare her for deployment this winter. Since the collision with an iceberg in 1989 it has been normal practice for annual docking to include a detailed survey of the structure and metallurgical condition of the hull. That is now going on. I cannot therefore give an absolute assurance that she will be deployed this winter. HMS "Endurance" is an elderly ship by any standards and is used in very demanding conditions. I am sure your Lordships agree that the safety of the ship and her crew must be paramount and we must therefore await the results of the survey before we can take final decisions.
Lord Shackleton: My Lords. in that case why did the Minister send down HMS "Endurance in the last season? A structural survey has been completed and now there has to be a metallurgical examination of one of the plates. What has happened? Why was it not done before? It is very curious in view of the expressed doubts on the part of the Government about the future of HMS “Endurance".
The Earl of Arran: My Lords, when the survey was conducted last year she was found to be seaworthy and that is why she was again sent down to the Antarctic.
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friend give an assurance that if the repairs on this ship Lord Boyd-Carpenter: My Lords, can my noble are not effective she will be replaced by a similar ship with a similar role?
The Earl of Arran: My Lords. I cannot give that assurance because we have to see precisely what is the result of the structural survey. Until then, no decision can be taken.
Lord Campbell of Alloway: My Lords. in view of the noble Earl's last reply, do the Government agree that we should continue to show the flag in the Antarctic?
The Earl of Arran: My Lords, if the noble Lord is particularly referring to the Falklands. the situation has now changed. We have a larger naval presence and also a bigger air strip in that area.
Lord Wyatt of Weeford: My Lords. can the Minister say whether this shilly-shallying about HMS intervention of the Ministry of Defence, the Foreign “Endurance" or her replacement is down to the
that the previous Prime Minister would never have Office or the Treasury? Will the Minister bear in mind
towards betraying a vital British interest by not having allowed such nonsense and apparent wavering a replacement for HMS “Endurance``?
The Earl of Arran: My Lords, as regards the final between the Foreign Office and the Ministry of decision, obviously there will be close consultation Defence.
The Earl of Radnor: My Lords. apart from the importance of Antarctica and the protocol, and the current condition of HMS “Endurance“, does not the Minister feel that within the British Navy there should be just one ship which can withstand the pressure of ice?
The Earl of Arran: My Lords. I can say to my noble friend that all such considerations, one of which he just outlined, will be taken into consideration.
Minister understand and do
Lord Callaghan of Cardiff: My Lords. does the understand that in saying, first. that he cannot the Government undertake that HMS "Endurance" will return and. secondly, that he can give no undertaking that a ship will replace her, he is repeating the folly that led to the invasion of the Falklands in 1982? Although that is not likely to happen now will the Government please realise that those kinds of words that are used by government spokesmen are studied with great care in that the United Kingdom is losing any interest in that Argentina? No inference must be drawn of any sort
part of the Antarctic or in the Falklands Islands. Will the Minister please indicate that the Government are determined to preserve sovereignty in that area?
The Earl of Arran: My Lords. I understand the strength of feeling in your Lordships House on this matter. I hope that I have not misied the noble Lord, understand the very serious point that he is making. Lord Callaghan. either in the past or now. I
Such a point will obviously be taken into very profound consideration before a decision is taken.
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