§ Mr. Juddasked the Secretary of State for Defence whether, following the Report of the Public Accounts Committee and the recent announcement of escalating costs for refitting H.M.S. "Blake", he will initiate an inquiry into the administration and control of Her Majesty's dockyards and into the value of a greater degree of decentralisation and local control within a revised general structure similar to that envisaged for the Post Office.
§ Mr. J. P. W. MallalieuThe administration and control of Her Majesty's Dockyards were the subject of a special study a few years ago, and are continually reviewed in the light of modern management principles. Revised arrangements are being progressively introduced. The costs of refitting H.M.S. "Blake" have not escalated.