§ Mr. E. Evansasked the First Lord of the Admiralty what facilities are available for the repair and reconditioning of fishing vessels in the Port of Lowestoft; and what immediate steps are contemplated for an extension of these urgently needed facilities.
Mr. AlexanderThe following facilities are available for the repair and re-conditioning of fishing vessels at the Port of Lowestoft: one dry dock, 250 feet in length; two slipways, each capable of accommodating one steel vessel up to 75 feet in length, or a wooden vessel up to 85 feet; one slipway, capable of accommodating steel vessels up to 90 feet in length. This slipway, however, is undergoing repairs, which will take six weeks to complete. All these facilities are owned by the London and North-Eastern Railway, and the Admiralty contemplate no extension of them.
Part of the repair capacity is at present taken up by the maintenance of naval minesweepers engaged on mine clearance which is of prime urgency. I am, however, examining the practicability of removing some of this work elsewhere to facilitate the conversion of fishing vessels.