6. Mr. Hobsonasked the Postmaster-General if plans and specifications have yet been made for a new ship to replace H.M.T.S. "Alert".
§ Mr. K. ThompsonNot yet. They are being reconsidered as part of a review, now taking place, of the need to supplement our cable fleet. H.M.T.S. "Alert" was extensively refitted in December, 1955.
Mr. HobsonIs the hon. Gentleman aware that this ship was taken from the Germans as war reparations, that it is very old and that the refitting was merely a question of changing it from a coal burner into an oil burner? In order to maintain the fleet at an efficient level, is it not time that something was done to replace this very old ship?
§ Mr. ThompsonWe realise that there are very serious shortcomings about this vessel, but as a result of the refit to which I have referred it now has a Board of Trade certificate, so it clearly must have been nothing but an important refit. We will go on doing the best we can with it.