§ Mr. RENDALLasked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether any agreement has been entered into between the Governmnt and the Standard Shipbuilding and Engineering Company, of Chepstow, as to the ownership and management of the company's property after the War; and, if so, whether he will inform the House of the terms of the agreement?
§ Dr. MACNAMARAThe land and plant of the Standard Shipbuilding Company are being purchased outright by the Government. No agreement of any kind whatever has been made as to the disposition of the property after the War. The procedure of acquisition was as follows: —The Director-General of Lands, War Office, and Ministry of Munitions, issued a Notice upon the company requisitioning the property under the Defence of the Realm Regulations. This places the Government in possession and in the position to purchase under the Defence of the Realm (Acquisition of Land) Act. The Director-General of Lands is now engaged in making certain valuations of lands and plants, etc., with a view to advising the Admiralty, who will then decide what should be purchased.
§ Mr. RENDALLasked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether it is the present intention of the Government that the graving docks now in course of construction at Beachley, Gloucestershire, shall. after the War, be taken over by the Standard Shipbuilding and Engineering Company. Limited; whether any agreement exists 1200W to that effect; and, if so, can its terms be stated; or whether it is contemplated that the Beachley Docks shall remain the permanent property of the State?
§ Dr. MACNAMARAThere is no intention on the part of the Government to build graving docks at Beachley, but the construction of a shipyard is being proceeded with at that place. As already announced, no decision has been arrived at as to what will be done with the National Shipyards at the close of the present emergency, and no agreement has been made to hand back the property to the Standard Shipbuilding Company.
§ Mr. RENDALLasked the First Lord of the Admiralty (1) whether he is aware that Mr. John Esplen, Director of Overseas Purchases in the Department of the Deputy-Controller of Auxiliary Shipbuilding, was at a recent date the holder of 10,000 £1 shares in the Standard Shipbuilding and Engineering Company, Limited, and was a director of the company; whether he retains any financial or managerial interest in the company; (2) whether he is aware that Mr. H. M. Grayson, director of ship repairs in the Department of the Deputy-Controller of Auxiliary Shipbuilding, was at a recent date the holder of 10,000 £1 shares in the Standard Shipbuilding and Engineering Company, Limited, and, as a director of R. and H. Green and Silley Weir, Limited, was associated in the control of the company; and whether he retains any financial or managerial interest in the company?
§ Dr. MACNAMARAMessrs. H. M. Grayson and John Esplen, who are directors in the Department of the Deputy-Controller for Auxiliary Shipbuilding, have a financial interest in the Standard Shipbuilding Company. Mr. Grayson is a director of Messrs. R. and H. Green and Silley Weir, Limited. These gentlemen have not, and never have had, any managerial position in the Standard Shipbuilding Company, and, as directors in the Department of the Deputy-Controller for Auxiliary Shipbuilding, have had nothing to do with the national shipyards. Mr. Grayson is joint director of ship repairs, and in that capacity is responsible for repairs to all merchant ships and auxiliary vessels for Admiralty service and for the allocation of dry dock facilities. Mr. Esplen is director of Overseas Ship Purchase, and is in no way responsible for any tonnage built or repaired at home.