§ Mr. RIDLEYasked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether his attention had been called to a case which came before the Rochester magistrates on Tuesday, 7th June, in which a Dutchman named Van Drunnen, in the employ of a Dutch firm of shipbreakers engaged in breaking-up His Majesty's ship "Anson," was fined 2s. 6d. and 15s. costs for assisting British bluejackets to improperly absent themselves from duty at Chatham Dockyard by rowing them across the river in his boat; and whether he would give instructions that in future when any British ships were to be broken up the work should be given to British hands?
§ Mr. McKENNAThe answer to the first part of the question is in the negative. It would not appear that any stipulation such as that suggested in the second part of the question would have any effect in the prevention of such an occurrence as that referred to in the first part of the question, and no additional restriction of that nature is proposed.
§ Mr. RIDLEYWill the right hon. Gentleman give instructions when His Majesty's ships are to be broken up that they will only be sold to firms employing British labour?
§ Mr. McKENNAI could not give any instructions of that kind, and we should not be able to enforce any such condition.