MR. HERBERT (Buckinghamshire, Wycombe)I beg to ask the First Lord of the Admiralty whether he will make it a condition of the retention of firms upon the list of contractors to the Admiralty that they will undertake to insert in all contracts for the construction of ships of war for any foreign Power a provision that in the event of such Power desiring to sell any such warship it shall be first offered to His Majesty's Government.
§ THE FIRST LORD OF THE ADMIRALTY (Mr. MCKENNA,) Monmouthshire, N.It is not proposed to insist on the 1205 insertion of a condition in the terms suggested. As my hon. friend will observe, once a ship built in this country has been delivered to the foreign country to which it belongs, the contractor would have no means of enforcing against such foreign Power the provision which he suggests.
§ MR. McKENNAThe contract would not be between the Government and a foreign Power. It would be between the contractor and a foreign Power, and the contractor would have no power to enforce it.
§ MR. McKENNAI do not think any contract made between a contractor and a foreign Government could give the British Government such a right.
MR. HERBERTAre the right hon. Gentleman's advisers unable to settle any form of contract which would give such a right?
§ MR. McKENNAI do not think it is conceivable that any form of contract between a contractor and a foreign Government would give it.
MR. HERBERTWill the right hon. Gentleman give me an opportunity of submitting such a form of contract?
§ MR. YOUNGER (Ayr Burghs)Might not the right hon. Gentleman insert a clause giving the right of pre-emption?
§ MR. McKENNAThe British Government cannot impose on a contractor a condition that they shall have a right of pre-emption on his ship.