§ Mr. REMERasked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether, in addition to the War Vessels' Production Department in the Liver Buildings, Liverpool, there is also in the same building a department known as the Arming of Merchant Ships Department; and, if so, how many merchant ships have been armed during the past 12 months?
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§ Sir J. CRAIGThe Department referred to is the "Defensive Equipment of Merchant Ships" Department. Arming merchant ships ceased at the Armistice, but this Department since then has been, and is still, engaged in the reconditioning, where this is a Government liability, of the 4,300 merchant ships equipped with guns and paravanes during the War. It was, however, not considered necessary or expedient to rename this Department when the reconditioning work began. Every effort is being made to close down this Department, and the delay is due to difficulty in obtaining vessels for reconditioning from the owners, who are at present naturally reluctant to lay up ships for this purpose.