HC Deb 10 February 1976 vol 905 cc223-5
13. Mr. Bean

asked the Secretary of State for Defence whether he will make a statement on the workload in the naval dockyards.

Mr. Judd

The dockyards have a heavy programme of refits of Royal Navy Ships and other vessels and craft for as far ahead as can be foreseen. They are also undertaking, where suitable capacity is available, work for United Kingdom warship builders, foreign Governments and civil customers.

Mr. Bean

In view of my hon. Friend's welcome statement and the Government's commitment to industrial democracy, will he consider reopening discussions on the subject within the Royal dockyards?

Mr. Judd

I can assure my hon. Friend that full worker involvement is regarded by us all as an important feature of the effectiveness of the yards. We are keeping this constantly under review and are always looking for ways in which it can be improved.

Mr. Tebbit

When jobs are lost in the dockyards or elsewhere as a result of Defence Reviews, what multiplier effect do the Government apply to those jobs? Is it as great a multiplier effect as is applied in the motor industry?

Mr. Judd

The hon. Member should know, from an earlier reply by my right hon. Friend this afternoon, that in the dockyards there has been no loss of jobs in the way that he suggests.

Mr. William Hamilton

Would my hon. Friend care to speculate on the effect on the Rosyth Dockyard of having a separate Scottish navy, as demanded by the SNP?

Mr. Judd

I imagine that all the workers there would wear kilts.

Mr. Stephen Ross

Will the Minister confirm that the position he has outlined applies to Portsmouth and that the prospects for employment there in the foreseeable future are encouraging?

Mr. Judd

All the home dockyards have proved indispensable in maintaining the operating effectiveness of the fleet at the level declared to NATO.

Mr. Viggers

Will the Minister give the same categorical assurance in respect of other dockyards as he gave in the case of Portsmouth, namely, that with the present level of Government expenditure on defence none will be closed?

Mr. Judd

I shall give the same undertaking that I give on every occasion. The dockyards have proved themselves indispensable in maintaining the present operational effectiveness of the fleet at the level declared to NATO.

Mr. Burden

If, as the Minister says, there is a sufficiency of naval work in the dockyards for the foreseeable future, why does he say that plans are being made for civilian work to be imported?

Mr. Judd

Because, as I would have thought the hon. Gentleman, with his long-standing interest in dockyards would know, there is always the problem of the balance of trade. Work does not come in a steady flow, as with production work, and rather than let men stand idle for temporary periods we are finding suitable work to fill those gaps.