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SV INTERVIEWER WITH HEALEY, S.O.F. QUESTION STARTS: "MR. HEALEY COULD YOU FIRST OF ALL JUST CLEAR UP THIS POINT....." S.O.F. ENDS "... WITHOUT GIVING AN INDICATION OF COSTS, WHICH I'M NOT INCLINED TO DO."
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TRANSCRIPT SEQ 1: QUESTION: "MR. HEALEY, COULD YOU FIRST OF ALL JUST CLEAR UP THIS POINT - ARE WE DEFINITELY BUYING THE AMERICAN PLANE?"



ANSWER: "NO CERTAINLY NOT. ALL WE'VE DONE TAKEN AN OPTION, WHICH GIVES US THE RIGHT TO PLACE AN ORDER AT THE BEGINNING OF NEXT YEAR, IF WE DECIDE AFTER LOOKING AT ALL OUR DEFENCE COMMITMENTS, AND AFTER CONSIDERING EVERY POSSIBLE WAY OF DOING THE JOB WITH BRITISH AIRCRAFT THAT WE STILL NEED SOME AIRCRAFT WITH THE TYPE OF CAPABILITY THAT THE TSR2 WOULD HAVE HAD."



QUESTION: "BUT IT'S UNLIKELY THAT WE WON'T HAVE TO BUY IT?"



ANSWER: "I WOULDN'T SAY THAT AT ALL NOW. IT IS CERTAINLY TRUE THAT WE COULDN'T DO WITHOUT IT IF WE CARRY ANYTHING LIKE OUR EXISTING COMMITMENTS, BECAUSE YOU KNOW THE GOVERNMENT IS HOPING VERY MUCH TO REDUCE COMMITMENTS EXPENDITURE AND THAT WILL INVOLVE REDUCING COMMITMENTS AND THIS IS THE PROBLEM WE ARE LOOKING AT IN THE COURSE OF THE COMING YEAR."



QUESTION: "WHAT IS THE MINIMUM SAVING YOU'RE GOING TO MAKE ON TSR2 BY SCRAPPING IT?"



ANSWER: "WELL THE MINIMUM SAVING, IF WE BOUGHT THE FULL NUMBER OF THE AMERICAN F-111A WOULD BE GBP300 MILLION OVER THE NEXT TEN YEARS. THAT'S THE MAXIMUM SAVING."



QUESTION: "WHAT IS GOING TO BE THE MAXIMUM COST OF BUYING THAT AMERICAN PLANE?"



ANSWER: "I COULDN'T TELL YOU THAT EXACTLY, I'M AFRAID AT THE PRESENT TIME WITHOUT GIVING AN INDICATION OF COSTS WHICH I'M NOT INCLINED TO DO."




Initials JRG/V/CR/PN


EDITORS: SEE ALSO 3287/65 TSR2 AND F-111 IN FLIGHT SERVICED 6 APRIL 1965.

Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved

Background: IS THE AMERICAN F-111, THE AIRCRAFT WITH THE SWING WINGS, TO REPLACE BRITAIN'S TSR2, NOW SCRAPPED AFTER SEVEN YEAR'S RESEARCH AND GBP125 MILLION COSTS?
DEFENCE MINISTER, MR. DENNIS HEALEY, HAD THE QUESTION PUT TO HIM AT A PRESS CONFERENCE IN LONDON AFTER TODAY'S (TUESDAY'S) ANNOUNCEMENT ON THE END OF THE TSR2.

(AN ANNOUNCEMENT THAT BRITAIN WAS TO BUY THE F-111 FOR THE RAF WAS MADE IN WASHINGTON TODAY, SIMULTANEOUS WITH THE ANNOUNCEMENT IN LONDON ON THE TSR2.)