§ 66. General CROFTasked the First- Lord of the Admiralty whether his attention has been called to recent articles in the Press on the subject of the present position in respect to steamer tonnage; and will he say what immediate steps he proposes to take to grant every facility for private enterprise to develop its resources in the extension of existing yards and the laying out of new sites for shipbuilding purposes?
§ Dr. MACNAMARAYes, Sir! I have read very many of the articles which have recently appeared in the Press on the question of new merchant tonnage output.
As regards the second part of the question, my hon. and gallant Friend might read—apart from earlier announcements on the matter—the First Lord's speech on introducing Navy Estimates on Tuesday last; and several references of my own on the question of extending facilities for output in the existing yards, which I made on Wednesday and Thursday of last week. I ought to add that I spoke of new schemes sanctioned for the development of private yards and shops up to the 6th February as numbering 136. The number of schemes which have now been sanctioned amounts to 147.