§ Mr. Critchleyasked the Civil Lord of the Admiralty whether he will make a statement on the future of the Royal Naval Barracks, Chatham.
§ Mr. C. Ian Orr-EwingThe announcement a year ago that the Naval Barracks at Chatham would be transferred to the Army in 1961 was based on the plans we had then made to confine the future task of Chatham Dockyard to the repair of ships manned only by key ratings, as in commercial Yards.
We have often emphasised that Chatham Dockyard will be kept fully at work for as far ahead as we can see, and Chatham Dockyard will have to take a proportion of the refits of operational ships; this means ships manned by a virtually full crew. During some such refits, substantial numbers of these officers and ratings will need to be accommodated ashore. The most economical way of doing this will be for the Navy to retain the R.N. Barracks at Chatham. The War Office have now agreed that our need is greater than theirs and have acquiesced in our retention of the barracks for Naval use. There will be enough room to absorb also the R.N. Supply and Secretariat School, so that this school need not now be transferred to Plymouth. Our arrangement to transfer some married quarters at Chatham to the War Office remains unchanged.
I hope this announcement will serve as further confirmation—if any were needed—of the Admiralty's intention to keep Chatham Dockyard fully occupied in the future as in the past.