§ 15. Mr. CONNOLLYasked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether he is aware that out of a total of 202,000 insured workers in the shipbuilding industry in England, Scotland, and Wales, 67,000 are unemployed, or 33 per cent.; that on the North-East Coast of England 43 per cent. are out of work; and whether, having regard to these figures, the Admiralty intend to expedite in any way the naval programme, so as to keep together the nucleus for future merchant shipbuilding?
§ The PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARY to the ADMIRALTY (Lieut.-Colonel Headlam)The provision in the current Estimates was based on our intention to order the new ships late in the financial year and, our arrangements having been made to implement this intention, it is impracticable now to place the orders earlier, even if Parliament were disposed to make the necessary supplementary grant.