§ 3. Sir OWEN PHILIPPSasked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether, in view of the urgent importance of increasing the output of new vessels by the shipbuilding yards, he will give favourable consideration to publishing every week particulars of all cargo vessels launched during the past week, with a correct statement in each case of the total number of days since their keels were laid, also particulars of all cargo vessels completed for service, with a correct statement in each case of the number of days since their keels were laid, the total dead-weight carrying capacity of each such vessel, and the name of the shipbuilder and the yard where each vessel was built, in order to encourage the spirit of friendly competition of both the employers and shipyard workmen, not only between yard and yard and between district and district, but also between the Allied countries, especially between Great Britain and Ireland, the United States, and Japan?
§ The PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARY to the ADMIRALTY(Dr. Macnamara)My right hon. Friend proposes to deal with the matters raised in this question in the Debate of next week on Merchant Tonnage.
§ 5. Sir FORTESCUE FLANNERYasked the First Lord of the Admiralty if his attention has been drawn to a statement at the meetings of the Chamber of Shipping that the whole output of merchant shipbuilding since the commencement of the War has not been enough to replace the loss by marine causes alone leaving the losses by enemy action yet to be made up; and whether he can state what steps the Admiralty will take in regard to all engaged in shipbuilding showing them the urgency of new construction and the national peril of delay?
§ Dr. MACNAMARAMy hon. Friend's question refers to the report of a speech by Sir John Ellerman at the annual meeting of the Chamber of Shipping on the 6th March, in the course of which Sir John Ellerman is reported to have made the statement embodied in my hon. Friend's question, namely, that he believed that he was right in saying that the whole output of this country since the commencement of the War has not been enough to replace the losses by marine causes alone, leaving the losses from enemy action yet to be made up. That statement is very far from being correct, and I can hardly believe that Sir John Ellerman has been accurately understood. As a matter of fact, new merchant construction during the War is several times the total of marine losses.
As regards the latter part of the question, the Debates of yesterday and of last week have, I feel confident, materially assisted in bringing home to all concerned the urgency of new construction and the national peril of delay. As far as we are concerned, we shall certainly take every step to keep the matter in the most prominent way possible before all those to whom we look to give us new tonnage with the utmost possible expedition.