§ 19. Mr. James Johnsonasked the Secretary of State for Defence what is the current value of repayment work at present being undertaken in Royal Naval dockyards.
§ Mr. JuddThe value of contracts for repayment work currently in hand at the 196 Royal dockyards is approximately £1½ million pounds.
§ Mr. JohnsonWill my hon. Friend be a little more forthcoming and tell me the nature of the work and whether any cuts are likely to be to the long-term detriment of ports such as Hull?
§ Mr. JuddA variety of work is being undertaken, including fairly substantial subcontracts for United Kingdom shipbuilders. I assure my hon. Friend that there is no intention of undermining work opportunities in ports such as Hull.
§ Mr. YoungerIs it good enough for the Minister to say that there is no intention of doing so? What machinery is he setting up to ensure that no work taken by a Royal Naval dockyard is taken at the expense of workers elsewhere in civilian yards?
§ Mr. JuddThe answer to that is clear. The Royal Naval dockyards take on what is called repayment work only when civilian firms are not available to carry out such work.