§ 14. Commander BELLAIRSasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Shipping Controller whether the official estimate still holds good that 75 per cent. of our tonnage is employed for Governmental purposes of which 12 per cent. is used for the carriage of iron ore and food; and whether it would be a correct inference that losses from war and navigation which are not replaced by building fall on the shipping which is left over?
§ The PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARY to the MINISTRY of SHIPPING (Sir Leo Chiozza Money)The figures quoted by 1317 my hon. and gallant Friend are not official estimates, and if he will refer to the speech which I made on 14th February, 1917, he will find that the 12 per cent. was merely named, as an illustration, as accounting for ore, wheat, and sugar. It is, however, unnecessary to go into the figures in detail, as the position is now fundamentally altered by the fact that practically the whole of the available British ocean-going tonnage is now requisitioned for war service, which therefore bears the burden of losses except so far as they are made good by new construction, by the more effective employment of neutral tonnage, or in other ways.
25. Mr. CORYasked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether, with the view to providing an incentive to the men in the shipbuilding yards to do their best work in this time of crisis, he will cause to be regularly posted up in those yards in a prominent position and way the shipping losses through enemy submarine action?
§ The PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARY to the ADMIRALTY (Dr. Macnamara)We have discussed this matter carefully, and the shipbuilders and the unions are considering various forms in which information might conveniently be given to the industry in order to stimulate emulation between the various yards, as well as to inform them of the national position.
§ 27. Commander BELLAIRSasked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether he can supplement the figures of losses in the White Paper by stating the average tonnage under repair or awaiting repair for a period during this year?
§ Dr. MACNAMARAMy right hon. Friend has considered very carefully whether it would be possible or advisable to give detailed figures of tonnage under repair or awaiting repair. There are two main objections to giving these figures—firstly, they would give information to the enemy as to the extent of the damage to vessels which he hits but does not sink; and, secondly, it is exceedingly difficult to frame a return which would make a fair distinction between minor and heavy repairs. We have, however, already given the House on other occasions an indication and figures as to repair work which is being successfully carried out. These figures, of course, included vessels which only occupied the dry docks for comparatively short space of time. I can only add that the rate of repair work is being consistently maintained.