HC Deb 05 June 1946 vol 423 cc339-40W
118. Sir P. Hannon

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty if he will make a statement on the circumstances under which the Government have decided to scrap the three aircraft carriers " Malta," " Gibraltar " and " Africa."

Mr. Dugdale

None of these three ships had been laid down when the war ended, and their cancellation was decided upon as a part of the reduction of the wartime fleet to the strength required to meet our peace time naval commitments. This policy was explained to the House by my right hon. Friend the First Lord in his statement of 6th March when introducing the Navy Estimates.