§ Commander BELLAIRSasked the Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he can give the date at which the West India and Panama telegraph cable steamer was handed over for survey to the Government dock authorities; the date of the completion of the work; what was the cost; whether the time and cost have been considerably greater than that for the original building of the vessel; whether injury has been inflicted through the cable steamer being unable to do its repair work in the West Indies; and whether he will use his influence to procure the handing of the Government dock to private enterprise?
§ Colonel LESLIE WILSONThis steamer was handed over to the Trinidad Government on 24th January, 1919, but it was not until 24th June, 1919, that Lloyds Surveyor condemned certain portions of the engine room tank. No previous notice of these defects had been given by the ship's engineers and for their repair material had then to be ordered from England. The repairs which have been three times the amount originally represented to the dock authorities are expected to be completed next month and the total cost is likely to be about £55,100. The company have informed me that the original cost of the vessel was £33,819, and that she was built in eight months. As regards the last part of the question, the Secretary of State informed the Government of Trinidad in July, 1919, that if a reasonable price could be obtained for the dock as a going concern it should in his opinion be sold to a private firm.