§ Sir R. GOWERasked the First Lord of the Admiralty when he will be in a position to state the Government's decision regarding the question of future work in the Royal dockyards; and whether he will give instructions that no further discharges of workmen shall be made pending such decision being arrived at?
Mr. ALEXANDERThe question of future work in the Royal dockyards is largely dependent on the decision of the Government on the shipbuilding programme, and until that decision is given I am unable to make any statement on the subject of future work. I am not prepared to issue the instructions suggested in the second part of the question, seeing that some of the employment in the dockyards is of a casual nature.