§ Major HORE-BELISHAasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty how many of the proposed five cruisers it is intended to lay down in Devonport; and whether, when allocating these vessels, he will bear in mind that, whereas the commercial yards, in addition to their ordinary work, can tender for national ships, the Royal yards are dependent for their existence upon the construction of national ships and cannot compete with the commercial yards?
§ Mr. AMMONThe answer to the first part of the question is one. All the relevant facts are borne in mind by the Admiralty in the allocation of orders for Naval ship construction.