§ Mr. REMERasked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether he is aware that on the second floor of the Liver Building, Liverpool, the Admiralty are still renting large office space for a department known as the War Vessels Production Department; how many war vessels have been produced in Liverpool during the past 12 months; and whether he is aware that his Department are threaten- 1095W ing to commandeer additional offices to extend?
§ Sir J. CRAIGIn July, 1917, the Admiralty commandeered an area of floor space on the second floor of the Royal Liver Building to provide office accommodation for the Director of Warship Production. In April, 1919, some of this space was surrendered. To meet the wishes of the owners, the Royal Liver Friendly Society, the Admiralty recently arranged to give up a further 110 square yards. When this is effected, the area of space then held in the Liver Building, Liverpool, will be about 116 square yards, and proposals are under consideration for hiring separate accommodation which, when obtained, and the necessary work of alteration is executed, will enable that occupied by the Director of Warship Production in the Royal Liver Building to be surrendered. There is no intention to commandeer additional offices; in fact, the Admiralty ceased to commandeer any property soon after the Armistice. While no war vessels have been delivered from the Liverpool yards, yet some have been delivered from Barrow and other yards in the district. The occupation of offices is, however, necessitated by the great volume of work involved in settling up the remainder of the ship constructive and material questions left by the various departments—now disbanded—set up by the Controller of the Navy during the War to provide the enormous fleet required.