§ Major HORE-BELISHAasked the Under-Secretary of State for Air how much of the necessary construction that his Department has required has been undertaken in the Royal Dockyards in each year since the formation of the Air Ministry, stating in respect of each year the kind and value of the work undertaken in each of the Royal Dockyards separately; and whether, seeing that the dockyards are national establishments, he will in the future undertake to give them preference in the necessary constructive work of his Department?
§ Mr. LEACHThe work performed by the Royal Dockyards for the Air Ministry concerns the supply and repair of marine craft, moorings, torpedoes and the like. If the hon. and gallant Member's question is intended to cover all items of service performed and issues made by each of the dockyards for the Air Ministry which could be brought under the description of construction from a dockyard point of view, I am afraid that the data are 449W incomplete and that the labour involved would be considerable and could hardly be justified. If, however, he has in mind aircraft construction work, the answer is that orders for such work are not placed with the dockyards, nor is it considered that they could usefully undertake it.