§ MR. ARTHUR LEEI beg to ask the First Lord of the Admiralty if he will state, approximately, the amount of under-expenditure upon new construction which has resulted, up to date, from the strikes in the shipbuilding trade or other unforeseen causes, during the current financial year.
§ MR. MCKENNAI regret that the figures asked for are not yet available.
§ MR. ARTHUR LEECan the right hon. Gentleman give any indication when the figures will be available so that I may put down another Question?
§ MR. MCKENNANot immediately.
§ MR. ARTHUR LEEIn a week's time?
§ MR. MCKENNAI should not think so.
§ MR. ARTHUR LEEI beg to ask the First Lord of the Admiralty if he will give an approximate estimate of the extra amount of expenditure, beyond that originally estimated, that will be incurred during the current financial year by the earlier letting of tenders for the construction of nine destroyers and five unarmoured cruisers.
§ MR. MCKENNAI regret that the figures asked for are not yet available.
§ MR. ARTHUR LEECannot the right hon. Gentleman give an approximate estimate of the obligations he will have to meet in this respect during the current year?
§ MR. MCKENNAI estimate that the contractors will expend, before 31st March, a total of £300,000. I am, therefore, perfectly sure the liability of the Admiralty will not exceed £200,000, and it will probably be considerably less.
§ MR. ARTHUR LEEI beg to ask the First Lord of the Admiralty how he proposes to meet the extra expenditure that will be incurred during the current financial year by the earlier commencement of certain items in the programme of new construction and by the anticipation of repairs to the Fleet.
§ MR. MCKENNAI propose to meet it out of the total sums voted for naval services this year.
§ MR. ARTHUR LEEOn what items will the large savings be effected?
§ MR. MCKENNALarge savings will be effected owing to the strike. I cannot, however, give an estimate, as the figures are coming in almost daily. I am confident that the additional expenditure for laying down ships earlier than arranged will be fully met out of these savings.