§ 79. Sir FORTESCUE FLANNERYasked the President of the Board of Trade whether the attention of the Government has been called to the facilities for reducing the cost of labour and material and expediting the construction of additional cargo ships for the mercantile marine that would arise from standardising the construction in every detail of hull and machinery of, say, 100 vessels of usual average sizes; whether he is aware that recent experience of shipowners has led to the recent construction, as suitable for all carrying trades, of vessels of about 8,000 tons deadweight capacity; and whether the Government will cause inquiry, either by Parliamentary Committee or otherwise, into the advantages that might arise in reducing at an early date the cost of freight, by the Government in the present emergency ordering a number of standardised ships of the above-named tonnage, with a view to placing them at the disposal of shipowners and merchants in an accelerated time and at reduced cost as compared with the present system of constructing ships to suit individual preferences?
Mr. RUNC1MANMy attention had already been called to the question of standardising the construction of merchant ships and the subject is under examination.