§ Captain W. BENNasked the Secretary to the Admiralty how many vessels belonging to the Scottish fishing fleet have been ordered for reconditioning in English ports, and how many English vessels for reconditioning in Scottish ports?
§ Dr. MACNAMARATo obtain the information asked for would entail a very considerable amount of clerical work, and impose an additional strain on an already hard worked and reduced staff, and as the work is now drawing to a close the figures will appear to serve no benefit other than a review of the past. I would point out that about 2,400 vessels had to be reconditioned, and it was considered essential to return them to their owners as soon as possible. They were not, however, available all at once, but came forward in a stream, and the object has always been to keep the reconditioning ports to which these vessels belong, fully employed. Reconditioning at other than the home ports was undertaken when the latter were full, and in order to expedite the return of these vessels to their normal duties. In these 1151W circumstances, therefore, I hope my hon. and gallant Friend will not press for the compilation of these statistics.