§ 3. Mr. KIRKWOODasked the First Lord of the Admiralty how many naval contracts have been placed recently with Clyde shipbuilding and engineering firms; what is the estimated cost of the contracts; when will the work commence; and how many men will be employed on the contracts for the next two years?
The PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARY to the ADMIRALTY (Lord Stanley)The orders placed in the Clyde area for hulls and machinery of His Majesty's ships under the 1931 and 1932 programmes are as follow:
§ For hulls and machinery of
- 1 Cruiser.
- 1 Destroyer Repair Ship.
- 1 Flotilla Leader.
- 6 Destroyers.
- 2 Sloops.
- 1 Gun Boat.
§ For the machinery only of
- 2 Cruisers.
- 1 Flotilla Leader.
§ In addition, orders have been placed for certain armament items, forgings, etc., required in connection with His Majesty's ships under construction.
§ The estimated cost, is about 44 million pounds.
§ Work is already in progress, but I have no information as to the number of men employed on Admiralty work in the area.
§ Mr. KIRKWOODIs the Noble Lord aware that the workers on the Clyde recognise, in their abnormal position, that the Admiralty, at any rate, and the Government, have tried to do something to relieve unemployment on the Clyde?