§ 50. Mr. HOUSTONasked the Prime Minister whether the United States have 770 now some 565 shipbuilding yards within their own territory actively engaged in building ships with modern methods and appliances and with the strenuous zeal of their workmen; and how many efficient shipbuilding yards there are in the United Kingdom?
§ Dr. MACNAMARAI have been asked to answer this question. I am not in a position either to confirm or contradict the figures given in the earlier part of the question. As regards the United Kingdom, there are 198 efficient shipbuilding yards, and while it is obviously not desirable to specify the class of work on which the yards are engaged, I may say that at the moment appreciably less than half are engaged exclusively on merchant work.
§ Mr. HOUSTONDoes my right hon. Friend include in the number of British yards the Government's Chepstow yards which have been dismantled of their machinery, and would he like to have the names of the 565 American yards, because I shall be very pleased to give them to him?
§ Dr. MACNAMARAI shall be very pleased to receive any information which the hon. Gentleman cares to give me. I should think the Chepstow yard is included, but I am not aware that it has been dismantled.
§ Mr. HOUSTONIs not the right hon. Gentleman aware that Lord Pirrie has removed the machinery from the Chepstow yard to other yards?
§ 51. Mr. HOUSTONasked the Prime Minister whether he is aware of the danger of Great Britain losing the maritime supremacy she has hitherto possessed by reason of the losses of British merchant ships and the failure to replace these losses with new ships; whether it has been brought to his notice that Mr. Hurley has definitely stated that America's post-war intention is to own 25,000,000 to 30,000,000 tons of shipping; whether he is aware that the total tonnage of British shipping before the War was under 20,000,000 tons and is now considerably less; and what steps are being taken to maintain or regain our maritime supremacy in view of the competition with which we are faced?
§ Mr. BONAR LAWI can assure the hon. Member that the Government are fully alive to the necessity of maintaining our maritime position, but the winning of the War must be the first consideration.
§ Mr. HOUSTONWill my right hon. Friend also bear in mind that we have to consider the condition that this country will be in after the War?
§ Mr. BONAR LAWI think my answer shows that we do consider it; but, as I say, we must consider, first, the winning of the War, and, secondly, what we will do after the War.
§ Questions Nos. 52 and 53 also stood in the name of Mr. HOUSTON.
§ Mr. SPEAKERThese are the ninth and tenth questions standing in the name of the hon. Member.
§ Mr. HOUSTONOn a point of Order. I was not responsible for questions 12 and 13 being placed upon the Paper, and, therefore, I have only eight.
§ Mr. SPEAKERThese are the ninth and tenth questions on the Paper, and the hon. Gentleman has already asked fourteen questions.