§ Mr. MACQUISTENasked the First Lord of the Admiralty why the practice of His Majesty's dockyard at Gibraltar of declining to undertake repairs to merchant vessels which did not necessitate dry docking and could be performed by local ship-repairing firms has been departed from; and, seeing that this departure is contrary to the practice of all other Admiralty dockyards, whether he will direct that the usual Admiralty practice will be reverted to in Gibraltar?
Mr, ALEXANDERThe policy now being followed at Gibraltar Dockyard as regards repairs to merchant ships was introduced by the late Government. I understand it is welcomed by the Colony and the shipping firms chiefly concerned. Such merchant ship repair work as the dockyard carries out would otherwise almost certainly go to foreign ports.