Mr. TYSON WILSONasked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether a number of discharges from Chatham Dockyard have been decided on; if so, whether he will state the number of men who are to be dismissed and the reason for their dismissal; and whether some action can be taken to remove the necessity of discharging men at a time just prior to the Coronation?
§ Dr. MACNAMARASixty men, who were temporarily catered at Chatham Yard recently will shortly be discharged. These men were engaged for specific work which has now been completed. They were made fully aware at the time of their engagement of the temporary nature of the job, and no prospect of permanent retention was held out to them. I may add that the number of men engaged in the Chatham Yard was on 22nd May, 1909, 8,736; on 21st May, 1910, 8,781; and on 20th May, 1911, 8,976. From this last-named number, of course, sixty will shortly have to be subtracted.