§ MR. COURTHOPETo ask the First Lord of the Admiralty whether any of the sixteen destroyers provided for in the current naval programme have been ordered from Messrs. White and Co., at Cowes; and whether any steps will be taken to prevent the discharge of large numbers of workmen from this and other yards having special facilities for building torpedo craft, 1658 which must inevitably follow any considerable curtailment of Admiralty orders.
(Answered by Mr. McKenna.) The tender of Messrs. White and Co., with those of other firms, is still under consideration. With regard to the second part of the hon. Member's Question, the action of the Admiralty is necessarily limited to the allocation of the orders of the year's programme.