§ 30. Sir HARRY BRITTAINasked the First Lord of the Admiralty if he is aware that all the gyro-compasses in the Fleet are of foreign origin; that the essential gyroscopical units were made abroad; that instructions to officers at the compass observatory and in the Admiralty manual are limited to this particular apparatus; and will he have inquiries made into this matter?
§ Lieut.-Colonel HEADLAMThe standard gyro-compass used in the Fleet is the Sperry type (American). At the end of 1913, as a result of competitive trial, it was decided to adopt this type instead of the Anschutz (German), the only two gyro-compasses then on the market. From that time until the end of the War, as a result of the above decision, the Sperry Company, of Brooklyn, supplied the British Fleet with gyro-compasses. The scrapping policy after the armistice released a large number of these compasses; they have been reconditioned and used for further service. As this is the only type of compass in use in the Navy no object is seen in describing other types in the Admiralty manual nor in giving instruction on such types unless or until they are adopted. When it again becomes necessary for the Admiralty to purchase any considerable number of gyro-compasses they will, as in 1913, offer to firms who are willing to tender an opportunity to submit instruments for competitive tests at sea.
§ Sir H. BRITTAINIs the hon. and gallant Gentleman not aware that there is a British-owned concern making a British compass by British labour at the present time, at a price which is half of that which this foreign concern is charging; and at the present moment that compass is in use on 16 ships of the Canadian Pacific, it is used on the Cunard ships and other vessels, and on the last and the biggest vessel built by the French nation; and will he give a chance to British labour?
§ Lieut.-Colonel HEADLAMThe hon. Member must recollect that, in these days of stringent economy, the Admiralty, like any other Department, must work through its existing stocks, and I have definitely said that when the opportunity arises, we shall give every opportunity to British firms.
§ Sir H. BRITTAIN rose—
§ Mr. SPEAKERWe cannot have two speeches.
§ 31. Sir H. BRITTAINasked the First Lord of the Admiralty if his attention has been drawn to a contract given to a foreign-owned organisation to supply a number of units for completing a quantity of gyro-compasses; and, seeing that the gyro-compass was on the 25th January last included under the provisions of the Key Industries Act, will he take steps in future to make use of the British-owned and British-made product?
§ Lieut.-Colonel HEADLAMThe foreign-owned organisation (The British Sperry Company) employs British labour and material, and any compasses manufactured by them for the Royal Navy are now made in this country. The contract in question consisted in completing a number of Sperry master compasses which had been left partially manufactured at the Armistice. The Admiralty are fully alive to the desirability of using the products of British-owned firms where suitable, and has already made exhaustive trial of one such type of compass. A further trial in one of His Majesty's ships of a gyro-compass, made by a British-owned firm, will shortly be instituted.
§ Sir H. BRITTAINIs the hon. and gallant Gentleman aware that this so-called British concern consists of 100,000 shares, 99,997 of which are held by foreigners and only three by Englishmen—one by each English director—and will he give a chance to this British-made compass to be tested for His Majesty's Fleet?