FIII DECISION U.K. ‘Prisoner Of The U.S.’

Press, Volume CV, Issue 31004, 9 March 1966, Page 13

FIII DECISION U.K. ‘Prisoner Of The U.S.’

<5 Z PA. Reuter—Copyright) LONDON, March 8. Britain was being made a “prisoner of the United States” through the Government’s decision to buy American aircraft, the Opposition defence spokesman. Mr Enoch Powell, said last night.

He told the House of Commons on the first day of a two-day defence debate: “The Government have bound themselves hand and foot to the Americans in this whole area of armament of our forces.” Mr Powell was criticising the Governments decision to buy 50 American Fill A’s and build no more aircraft carriers, whose role the aircraft are planned eventually to take over. He contended that the Fill would each ultimately cost about twice the £2.500,000 quoted by the Government. This was about the price of the British ASR2 aircraft which the Government had abandoned in favour of the Fill, he said. The Government had limited its order for Fills to 50 because the British-French variable geometry aircraft should be able to take over in the mid 19705, he said. But this swing-wing BritishFrench aircraft did not exist “even on the back of an en-

He forecast that the Americans would not stand idly by without themselves going into production with something to rival it. By the late 1970’s there would be another American bid. Mr Denis Healey, the Defence Secretary, described Mr Powell’s statements as “the usual American rigmarole." Mr Powell had forgotten that the aircraft carrier force he wanted to continue indefinitely would depend entirely on American aircraft (Phantoms) bought by the former Conservative administration, Mr Healey said.