§ 11. Mr. LAMBERTasked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether expenditure is now being incurred on the national ship yards at Chepstow and the Bristol Channel; if so, how much; what has been the expenditure incurred to date on these yards; and whether negotiations for their sale have taken place?
§ The PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARY to the MINISTRY of SHIPPING (Colonel Leslie Wilson)I have been asked to answer this question. The answer to the first part of the question is in the affirmative. For replies to the other points I would refer my right hon. Friend to the answers which I gave yesterday on this subject, and, in particular, the replies to the hon. Member for Salop (Wrekin), in which particulars of the expenditure on the national shipyards to the end of January are given, and to the reply to the hon. Member for Preston in which the policy of the Shipping Controller as regards the disposal of the national shipyards was set out.
§ Mr. LAMBERTWill the hon. and gallant Gentleman kindly answer the last part—whether negotiations for their sale have taken place; and, if so, with whom?
§ Colonel WILSONMy right hon. Friend the Shipping Controller has received inquiries from certain individuals and bodies, but those inquiries have not got to such a stage that they can be called negotiations at present.
§ Sir CHARLES HENRYCan the hon. and gallant Gentleman state when those shipyards were handed over from the Admiralty to the Ministry of Shipping, and also whether Lord Pirrie is still in control of them?
§ Colonel WILSONThe shipyards were handed over to the Ministry of Shipping on 1st November, and Lord Pirrie is still Controller-General of Shipbuilding.