§ 27. Mr. Leslieasked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether he will consider getting officers and men of the Merchant Service to visit shipyards to address the workers as has been done by Royal Air Force officers in visiting aircraft factories?
§ The Financial Secretary to the Admiralty (Mr. George Hall)The Admiralty are arranging whenever possible for Merchant Navy personnel to give talks to workers on Admiralty production. My hon. Friend will, however, appreciate that it is of paramount importance that merchant ships should turn round as quickly as possible and that the opportunities of arranging such talks are, in consequence, few.
§ Mr. LeslieWill the Admiralty encourage visits of merchant seamen to see for themselves what is being done in the shipyards, which will disabuse their minds of the extravagant statements that are being made by garrulous old creatures about slacking? They are not likely to help the war effort.
§ Mr. HallYes, we do encourage visits from these men in order to see the work which is being done in the shipyards.
§ Mr. GallacherIs the hon. Gentleman aware that "garrulous old creatures" should be "garrulous old Tories"?