Royal yacht undergoes conversion
NZPA London The Royal Yacht Britannia will undergo a £5 million ($NZ11.65 million) refit to convert her engines to burn diesel instead of heavy furnace fuel.
The conversion comes in the wake of strong criticism that she was unable to join the Falklands task force last year as a hospital ship because she would have required her own fuel tanker. The “Daily Telegraph” newspaper says the expense of running the Royal Yacht is met entirely by the Defence budget and this has been justified on the ground that the Britannia, launched in 1953, was designed to be converted to a hospital ship in 48 hours.
It says the costs of £3 million (5NZ6.99 million) a year plus the pay of her 22 officers and 254 crew is becoming harder to justify but Defence Ministry officials have denied reports there was pressure to get rid of her.
The- refit is unlikely to subdue Labour Party criticism of the Britannia which one member of Parliament described as an expensive extravagance the nation could ill-afford.
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Press, 25 August 1983, Page 23
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176Royal yacht undergoes conversion Press, 25 August 1983, Page 23
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