---

Defence Procurement

Until I do, I am prepared to teach the hon. Gentleman the existing alphabet. The C130J was partly his Government's policy and partly Lockheed Martin's. The Defence Committee came up with a solution and said that we should not put all our money into the C130J, which was then unworkable, but look for alternatives and supplement it. In this case, it was largely Lockheed Martin's fault that the C130Js were not as numerous as they could and should have been, and my version of events is better than the hon. Gentleman's. If he would like to try again, I shall willingly give way. Indeed, having heard his riposte, I would give way as long it was allowed. I have tried to find out what cancellations of systems there have been, but it was tricky. The hon. Gentleman's boss tried to find that out and he was apparently told that information about the cancellation of systems could be provided only at disproportionate cost. One wonders how many failures have gone unpublicised. Along with my A to Z, I have looked at the Public Accounts Committee's reports. Projects cancelled between 2002-04—thus ordered by the previous Government—included TRIGAT, the third-generation anti-tank missile; the multi-role armoured vehicle; the area defence weapon; and the counter anti-radiation missile suite. In 1989, the then Minister was asked a parliamentary question about projects cancelled between 1984 and 1989. The list is short but telling and does the previous Government no credit. I can read out the list of projects cancelled under the Conservatives if hon. Members wish me to do so.