Headquarters Organisation, Bath (Hansard, 30 June 1948)

§ 9. Mr. I. J. Pitman
asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty if it has yet been decided that any part of the Headquarters organisation of the Admiralty shall remain at Bath.

Mr. Dugdale
It has been decided that a considerable part of the Admiralty Headquarters organisation is to be permanently located at Bath. Broadly speaking, that part will comprise those departments which are concerned with the construction, maintenance and supply of the Fleet and its establishments, and with contracts and accounts. Under this decision certain departments now in London will in due course be moved to Bath. The time required to put it into effect will depend upon reductions in the size of those departments now at Bath and on the provision of additional housing there.

§ Mr. Pitman
Would the Minister consider, in making his permanent arrangements, the early release of hotels and the removal of those hutments which are unsightly; also, would be consider the question of greater protection in the event of war, because Bath wishes to be attractive to certain visitors in peacetime and unattractive to other visitors in wartime?

Mr. Dugdale
With regard to the second part of the question, that is not exactly a matter for the Navy. It is a question which might perhaps be addressed to other Ministers. In reference to the first part of the question, as the hon. Member knows, already a large number of buildings have been derequisitioned. We are fully aware of the desire of the citizens of Bath that as many as possible should be derequisitioned as soon as we can conveniently do so.

§ Mr. George Hicks
May I ask the Parliamentary Secretary whether the people of Bath agree with the observations recently made by the right hon. Gentleman the Member for Bournemouth (Mr. Bracken)?

Mr. Dugdale
No, Sir. I understand that the observations of the right hon. Gentleman the Member for Bournemouth met with some disapproval in Bath. The "Bath and Wilts Chronicle and Herald" said: 2185 If we may say so of one who is blessed with a distinguishing crown of red hair"— [Interruption.] I am sorry if some hon. Gentlemen do not want to hear this, but it is rather interesting and I think that some hon. Members would like to hear it. The paper said: If we may say of one who is blessed with a distinguishing crown of red hair, Mr. Bracken went somewhat too bald-headedly at his subject. Indeed, there will be many in Bath who will feel that the former First Lord of the Admiralty, so far from hitting the deck, missed it altogether.

§ Commander Noble
Will the Admiralty be able to give up Queen Anne's Mansions and other accommodation in London which is urgently needed for housing?

Mr. Dugdale
I said that this was a long-term project. I could not possibly agree that we could suddenly release Queen Anne's Mansions.

§ Mr. Stokes
Can the Minister explain to the House why, now that we have a much smaller Navy, it is necessary to overflow the Admiralty to Bath? Surely, they ought to be able to come back again?

Mr. Dugdale
The suggestion that some of the Admiralty staff should be at Bath is part of the general move that is being made in other quarters for the decentralisation of certain offices from London.

§ Mr. Henry Strauss
Is the Minister satisfied that the supplementary question put by the hon. Member for East Woolwich (Mr. Hicks) was in the exact terms which the Minister agreed beforehand?

Mr. Dugdale
I should never dream of trying to explain to an hon. Member of the standing of my hon. Friend the Member for East Woolwich the terms in which he should put any question, or even what question he should put.

§ Sir Wavell Wakefield
In view of the retention of premises in Bath, could the Minister say what premises in London will be given up by the Admiralty?

Mr. Dugdale
Not without notice, Sir.

§ Mr. Pitman
As an hon. Member who, apparently, is alleged to be not equal in standing to the hon. Member for East Woolwich, in that he has taken at dictation from the Minister the wording of the 2186 Question put down, might I protest on this and ask the Minister whether he is aware that, in point of fact, there are two schools of thought in Bath—[HON. MEMBERS: "Hear, hear."]—and that what the right hon. Gentleman the Member for Bournemouth said is a viewpoint which has a considerable following in Bath?

Mr. Dugdale
I was trying to explain that I thought that possibly the views of the hon. Gentleman the Member for Bath (Mr. Pitman) were more representative of Bath than the views expressed by the right hon. Gentleman the Member for Bournemouth (Mr. Bracken).