§ 35. Mr. Emrys Hughesasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty what expenditure has been incurred on the naval bases at Singapore since the war; and what further expenditure is to be incurred.
§ Mr. W. EdwardsI presume that the Question refers to capital expenditure. The total of such expenditure incurred since the occupation of the base after the war amounts to about £1,600,000, including that on rehabilitation. As regards the second part of the Question, I cannot, of course, anticipate future policy, but further expenditure on capital services already approved will amount to about £800,000 including rehabilitation.
§ Mr. HughesIs this £1,600,000 spent since the war in addition to the £26 million which the "Daily Telegraph" estimate says was spent in the war; and is the statement true that up to the present 10,000 people have been working daily at Singapore and that the local naval authorities say that it is an absurdity?
§ Mr. EdwardsThe Question asked the amount of money spent since the war. Quite obviously that excludes any amount spent before or during the war. In regard to the number of people employed there I can assure my hon. Friend that there has been no statement by the naval authorities that the number of people employed are far more than there should be.
Mr. J. P. L. ThomasMay I ask that no considerations of economy will prevent the full re-equipment of this base both as regards defence and dockyard facilities; and further whether the transference of the headquarters of the Commander-in-Chief from Hong Kong to Singapore will not in any way lessen the strength and effectiveness of Hong Kong itself?
§ Mr. EdwardsThe second part of the supplementary question does not come within this Question. In regard to the first part, the Admiralty naturally have in mind the valuable position of Singapore and quite obviously, within financial limitations, they will do everything to see that it is kept in a proper state.
§ Mr. ScollanIn view of the ineffectiveness of the £26 million—
§ Lieut.-Colonel Sir Thomas MooreAddress the audience.
§ Mr. ScollanI am addressing the Chair. In view of the ineffectiveness of the £26 million previously spent and of the fact that military and naval experts have all proved wrong in their prognostications, is it now proposed to proceed to pour several more millions down the drain to give us another white elephant in Singapore such as the last?
§ Sir Ronald RossIs the amount that the Civil Lord has mentioned the minimum amount required to bring this base into effective use and to rehabilitate it after the damage suffered during the war?
§ Mr. EdwardsIt does not necessarily follow that the figures I have given represent the minimum amount, but that is what we have spent after the war in capital purposes up to the present.
§ Mr. DonnerHave the deficiencies revealed during the war as regards attack from the land to the north been remedied?
§ Mr. EdwardsThe hon. Gentleman can certainly take it that any lessons we learned as a result of war action are being very carefully taken into account at the moment.