§ 102. Mr. Donnellyasked the First Lord of the Admiralty how far it is the policy of his Department to give special consideration to ports in the development areas when orders for shipbuilding or ship-repairing are being placed.
§ Mr. J. P. L. ThomasApart from the Royal Dockyards, the bulk of the shipbuilding and ship-repairing capacity in the United Kingdom is located in the development areas. The Admiralty policy is to place its shipbuilding and ship-repairing contracts, other than specialist work which must be carried out in specialist firms, in the yards which are most in need of work in so far as it is practicable and economical to do so. Other things being equal, preference is given to firms in the development areas.