HC Deb 10 December 1952 vol 509 cc459-61
42 and 43. Mr. W. J. Edwards

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty (1) to what extent the shipbuilding programme of the Navy is to be cut as a result of the most recent decision to reduce the speed of the re-armament programme;

(2) to what extent the works programme of his Department is to be cut as a result of the most recent decision to reduce the speed of the re-armament programme.

Mr. J. P. L. Thomas

I regret that I am not in a position at the moment to give positive answers to these Questions. and I must ask the hon. Member to wait until the Navy Estimates for 1953–54 have been finalised and presented to the House. As my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister informed the House in answer to the hon. Gentleman's supplementary question on Thursday last, the Government are anxious to afford the fullest discussion at the appropriate time on the adjustments which arise from the review of the defence programme.

Mr. Edwards

One would have assumed by the Prime Minister's statement last week and the replies which he gave to supplementaries that the Government had made their mind up how the defence programme was going to continue from now onwards. Surely, if the Prime Minister is able to come to the House and make a statement such as he did last Thursday, it should have been obvious that the Service Departments ought to be able to tell us what differences will take place in Service policy. May I ask, therefore, if the Government have decided to reduce defence expenditure, and they come to the House and say that they have no idea of how it is going to be done, whether that is not gross mismanagement?

Mr. Thomas

I am anxious to give the hon. Gentleman any information I can, because of how helpful he was to me in the past. The Prime Minister said that certain general decisions had been reached. Those have now to be worked out, and they are being worked out in the Admiralty, in all other Service Departments, and in the Ministry of Supply. I cannot give the hon. Gentleman the details at this stage for which he asks.

Mr. Shinwell

Can the right hon. Gentleman tell the House on what basis the decision was reached? Was there not some detailed examination of the position before the Prime Minister announced to the House the decision of the Government?

Mr. Thomas

A great deal of detailed examination took place before the final decision was taken, but that is not the same thing as working out the whole matter in practice now that the decision has been taken. This is bound to take time, and the right hon. Gentleman is unreasonable to expect an answer so soon.

Mr. Burden

Can my right hon. Friend give an undertaking that, in the foreseeable future, full employment will be maintained in the Royal Dockyards? Will he also realise that in most dockyard towns work in the Royal Dockyards is a major method of employment and that these matters are of very great concern?

Mr. Thomas

I can assure my hon. Friend that there is no reason to think that employment in the dockyards in the immediate future will be anything but full.

Mr. H. Morrison

May we take it from the First Lord that what has happened is that a decision has been taken without knowledge as to how it is to be implemented?

Mr. Thomas

If I may say so, the right hon. Gentleman should not take it as anything of the kind. He must realise that decisions are taken on general grounds after a good deal of examination, but the actual details take time to work out, and that I have not yet got the answer for the House.