§ 17. Mr. Willeyasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty how many orders for new tonnage to be built in British shipyards have been cancelled in the last six months; and what is the total value of the orders so cancelled.
§ Mr. T. G. D. GalbraithUnder existing procedure details of merchant shipbuilding orders received or cancelled in United Kingdom shipyards are reported to the Admiralty at quarterly intervals. Information regarding the first quarter of 1959 is not yet available; in the last quarter of 1958 nine orders were cancelled, for 138,000 gross tons. The value of these orders is not included in the information which is given to the Admiralty.
§ Mr. WilleyWould not the Civil Lord agree that this is a very disturbing figure? Would he look rather more sympathetically at the many constructive proposals I have made to him over the past few years?
§ Mr. GalbraithI would not necessarily accept the adjective about proposals that the hon. Member has made to me, although of course I am glad to receive them. It is true that cancellations in the last quarter were higher than in any of the previous four quarters, but I think it is impossible to trace any particular line, either up or down, in the cancellations over such a short period.
§ Mr. BlenkinsopWill the hon. Gentleman say how many of these cancellations have been of ships on order to North-East Coast shipyards?
§ Mr. GalbraithNot without notice.