§ MR. A. WILLIAMS (Glamorgan, S.)At the request of the hon. Member for Cardiff (Sir E. Reed), I beg to ask the Secretary to the Admiralty for what reason obsolete ships of Her Majesty's Navy have been sold to foreign firms; whether they have been sold under guarantees that they will be broken up by the purchasers; how many such ships have been sold during the past 12 months to foreign purchasers; what are the amounts for which they have been respectively sold, and how much do these amounts exceed the prices offered at home; and what steps have been taken with respect to the brass, copper, and other valuable metal forming parts of such ships, and how it is proposed to insure the full return of these, or their full market value?
THE SECRETARY TO THE ADMIRALTY (Sir U. KAY-SHUTTLEWORTH, Lancashire, Clitheroe)(1.) Obsolete ships are sold to the highest bidder, whether British or foreign. (2.) No guarantee is required that they shall be broken up; but that is usually their fate, as they are unsuitable for further use, except for special purposes, such as coal hulks. (3.) During the past 12 months only one ship has been sold direct to a foreign purchaser—namely, the old Victoria. (4.) She realised £9,804—a price greatly in excess of the highest offered by any British firm. (5.) All the brass, copper, and other metal contained in the ships are the property of the purchasers. For many years it has not been obligatory to return the metal.
§ MR. TOMLINSON (Preston)What steps are taken to obtain tenders in such cases?
SIR U. KAY-SHUTTLEWORTHAdvertisements are issued, and firms who are known to have any desire to tender for ships to be broken up are communicated with in writing. These firms now number about 100.