HC Deb 16 November 1949 vol 469 cc1993-4
1. Colonel J. R. H. Hutchison

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty why out of the 22 Reserve Fleet ships, for which contracts have been entered into by his Department for refitting, only one of these vessels is to go to the Clyde.

The Civil Lord of the Admiralty (Mr. Walter Edwards)

It is impossible to distribute orders for the refit of His Majesty's ships by contract evenly between the various areas concerned. Regard must be had to the types and sizes of the ships, their condition and location, the cost of towage involved, and the state of work in the yards available. On the present occasion, it was possible to allocate only one ship to the Clyde, but as the hon. and gallant Member is aware the volume of work sent to that area in the last 12 months has been substantial.

Colonel Hutchison

Does that mean that the allocation of these vessels is in future to be governed by the state of unemployment or by the cost at which the vessels will be repaired, because there is plenty of vacant space available on the Clyde which is capable of taking a much higher proportion than a ratio of one in 22?

Mr. Edwards

There is unemployment in the ship repairing industry in most parts of the country but that does not mean that we shall send ships to areas which have had the most unemployment.

Mr. Kirkwood

Is my hon. Friend aware that on the Clyde at the moment we have a great deal of unemployment for lack of repair work? Will my hon. Friend keep his eye on that position and see that we get our fair share of such work on the Clyde?

Mr. Edwards

That is borne in mind. Of the total value of refits, excluding submarine refits, allocated to contracting firms during the last 12 months, 20 per cent. has gone to the Clyde.

Mr. Kirkwood

Only one vessel out of more than 20 is to come to the Clyde where we have the greatest number of shipbuilders in Britain unemployed.

Mr. Logan

Is my hon. Friend taking precautionary measures to see that there is not a glut of ships going to one particular place and that there is a fair allocation of repairs in relation to unemployment, especially on Merseyside?

Mr. Edwards

That is borne in mind.

Sir Ralph Glyn

Is attention paid to the fact that certain yards are capable of dealing with ships of a certain size and that if those yards do not get orders it means far more unemployment?

Mr. Edwards

Attention is paid to that fact but I wish to inform the House that even this number of ships going out to contract cannot fill all the berths in the country.