§ Sir R. CLARRYasked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether he has considered the serious situation of the ship-repairing and engineering works at Newport docks owing to the fact that skilled and key men are continually leaving the district, with the result that when these engineering and ship-repairing works are required at some later date for general shipping and Admiralty repair work, they will not be in a position to deal with the work, and the large number of unskilled men who depend on skilled and key men will continue to remain idle; and whether he proposes to take any action in the matter, particularly in the direction of diverting Admiralty repair work to the area?
§ Sir S. HOAREI am aware of the situation at Newport. The Admiralty policy is that during peace time all repair work on His Majesty's ships shall normally be carried out in the Royal Dockyards, which exist mainly for this 2639W purpose. Under present conditions the the hon. Member for Sunderland (Mr. Royal Dockyards are capable of carrying Storey) on 16th December and to my out the whole of this work. If it becomes reply of to-day to the hon. Member for necessary to depart from this policy the Jarrow (Miss Wilkinson). I am sending claims of the Newport area, as well as to him a copy of the correspondence rethose of other shipbuilding and repairing ferred to in these answers. centres round the coast, will receive consideration.