§ SIR H. DRUMMOND WOLFFasked the Secretary to the Admiralty, Whether the Portsmouth Dockyard is short of the number of men employed in the beginning of the year; if so, could he state how many; whether one hundred men will have to be discharged before the end of the year; and, whether Her Majesty's Government will take steps to obviate this discharge and to restore the 437 strength of the yard to that existing at the beginning of the year?
§ DR. LYONSasked whether it was not the fact that by the stoppage of works at Southampton the number of men employed by the Admiralty had been reduced from 2,000 to 500, and that considerable distress prevailed in consequence; and, whether, in any extension of Admiralty works which was contemplated, this distress would betaken into consideration?
§ MR. STEWART MACLIVERasked if it was contemplated that any portion of the proposed expenditure on the Navy should be distributed over the various Dockyards?
MR. CALNEThe number of men employed at the present moment in Portsmouth Dockyard is smaller by 200 than the number employed at the commencement of the year. I am not aware of any proposal to discharge men before the end of the year. I may add that the sum to be expended in wages at Portsmouth in the current financial year exceeds that of the previous year by £3,000. As to the other Questions put to me, perhaps my hon. Friends will give Notice.