§ 14. Mr. THURTLEasked the First Lord of the Admiralty the nature of the inducements he is offering to the manufacturers of armour plate to maintain their existing plants and technical staffs, in view of the fact that, at present, owing to the operations of the Washington Convention, four out of the five existing plants are not required?
§ The FIRST LORD of the ADMIRALTY (Mr. Bridgeman)The inducement offered to the manufacturers of armour plate to maintain their existing plants and technical staffs is that each manufacturer has been given a share of the orders for armour plate at prices which take into account the higher cost necessarily involved in producing small quantities.
§ Mr. HORE-BELISHADoes not the right hon. Gentleman think it equally necessary, in order to give this encouragement to private firms, to maintain the plant and machinery at His Majesty's Dockyards?
§ Mr. BRIDGEMANThat does not refer to armour plate.