§ Lieut.-Colonel MOORE - BRABAZONasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty (1) what ships have been sold to be broken up in Germany;
(2) whether steps have now been taken, in view of the unemployment in Government dockyard towns, to insert the usual clause that ships should be broken up in this country when contracts for this work are given out?
§ Mr. AMERYIt is the present practice to insert a clause providing that ships should be broken up in this country in all contracts for sale of ships. In about thirty to forty cases, however, contracts have been entered into for the sale of approximately 400,000 tons of vessels which have been disposed of for breaking up abroad. Considerably over 100,000 tons of such vessels were, however, lying abroad when sold,e.g., in the Mediterranean and Far East, etc. The total tonnage that has gone to Germany amounts to over 200,000 tons, but it is contrary to Admiralty practice to disclose details of this or any other contract. That disposed of for breaking up at home is over 1,000,000 tons. I may say that no contracts have been given abroad unless the Admiralty have been satisfied that the employment position would not be prejudiced thereby.
§ Lieut.-Colonel MOORE - BRABAZONasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty whether a contract has now been entered into for the sale of a block of vessels to be broken up in the Medway, as foreshadowed in an answer to the hon. Member for the Gillingham Division (Mr. Hohler) on 2nd November?
§ Mr. AMERYContracts have been entered into for the breaking up of surplus vessels in the Medway and it is hoped that work on the vessels will be commenced very shortly.