HC Deb 29 July 1932 vol 267 cc1784-5
7. Commander MARSDEN

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty what ships of the 1931 building programme have already been laid down and the dates upon which it is proposed to lay down the remaining ships of the programme?

Sir B. EYRES MONSELL

Only the gunboat and the small craft of the 1931 programme have so far been ordered. The remaining ships of the 1931 programme (cruisers, flotilla leader, destroyers, submarines and sloops) will be ordered in the autumn of this year, as I stated when introducing the Navy Estimates for 1932.

Commander MARSDEN

This is the 1931 programme we are talking about. Cannot the right hon. Gentleman now say when his remaining ships will be laid down?

Sir B. EYRES MONSELL

I said during the Debate on the Navy Estimates that the average would be round about October, and nothing has been altered in that respect.

10. Sir BERTRAM FALLE

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty when the order will be placed with Portsmouth Dockyard for the construction of the Leader of the 1932 programme, which he announced would be built at that yard?

Sir B. EYRES MONSELL

Since the 7th March last, when the projected allocation of the 1932 new programme was announced, it has been necessary to review the programme of work at Portsmouth Dockyard. The "Dauntless" has been sent to Portsmouth to refit, and the "Frobisher" will be fitted out there for service as a cadets' training ship, the money being found by deferring work on other refits. We also contemplate that the large repair of His Majesty's Ship "Repulse," which is due to be commenced next year, shall be done at Portsmouth Yard. The combined effect of these arrangements is to place an additional amount of work on repairs and refits which will absorb all the labour which it had been proposed to employ on building the 1932 Leader at Portsmouth; and in order to adhere to the policy of keeping dockyard numbers as steady as possible, and of avoiding exceptional entries bo be followed by large discharges, we have decided to transfer the 1932 Leader from Portsmouth Yard to contract construction. It is intended that the Leader of the 1931 new programme, which has not yet been ordered, shall be built at Portsmouth Dockyard, as previously announced.

Mr. NEIL MACLEAN

Can the right hon. Gentleman inform us where the Leader that is to be transferred to contract is to be built?

Sir B. EYRES MONSELL

I will let the hon. Member know that when the tenders are sent out next autumn, and when we get the replies.