§ MR. LEVESON-GOWER (Sutherland)I beg to ask the Secretary to the Admiralty whether, after considering the respective advantages of Ullapool and Lochinver, the former has been chosen as a Royal Naval Reserve Station; whether he is aware that the greater number of Reservists are from the neighbourhood of Lochinver, and from the north of it; and, if so, if Ullapool has been chosen, will he state what measures the Admiralty propose to 727 take to facilitate the training of those Reservists who may experience difficulty in training there.
§ MR. PRETYMANThe decision to establish the Royal Naval Reserve Station at Ullapool in preference to Lochinver was only arrived at after the most careful consideration of the comparative advantages offered by the two localities. It is true that at present the majority of the Royal Naval Reserve men come from the neighbourhood of Lochinver, and from the north of it, but as Ullapool is the centre of a much larger fishing population it is considered that there are greater possibilities of developing the Reserve in this direction. It is not anticipated that any special facilities will be required, as suggested in the last paragraph of the hon. Member's Question, as the journey to Ullapool will be shorter and less expensive than the journey to Inverness, which the men at present have to undertake.
§ MR. BIGNOLD (Wick Burghs)Then may we take it that the negotiations are still in progress?
§ MR. PRETYMANYes, Sir.