§ SIR JOHN PULESTON (Devonport)asked the First Lord of the Admiralty, Whether the Achilles is to be re-boilered and repaired by contract; and, if so, whether this is to be done because there is no money available under the Dockyard Vote; whether the contractors are to have access to the Dockyard, and its facilities and material, or whether the ship is to be removed; whether it is usual to provide for the contingencies of necessary repairs to ships of war in the Dockyard Vote, or that such repairs be left to private firms, when the materials and labour are in the Dockyards; whether an estimate of the cost of repairing the Achilles in the Dockyard can be furnished for comparison; whether certain Dockyard re-organizations have been effected with the object of building and repairing "expeditiously and cheaply; and, whether any reason can be given for the non-attainment of the result officially stated to have been accomplished?
§ THE FIRST LORD (Lord GEORGE HAMILTON) (Middlesex, Ealing)It is proposed to re-boiler and repair the Achilles by contract. This repair is additional to the programme arranged, it being estimated that the amount of work allotted to the Dockyards will absorb the Dockyard Votes, but that there will be savings on the Contract Vote. The work will be done by the contractors in the ordinary way, and at their own works. An estimate of the cost of repairing the Achilles will be made by the Dockyard officials. The Dockyard reorganizations have largely cheapened 1530 and expedited Dockyard work; though I do not say that, at the present moment, the result has been such as to enable Dockyards to equal or excel private yards in the rapidity and economy of their work.