§ 131. Mr. J. P. L. Thomasasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty whether he now has a further statement to make on the explosion in the ammunition ships at Portsmouth, or on any of the seven other incidents of damage to His Majesty's ships since the beginning of June.
§ 133. Mrs. Middletonasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty whether he will make a further statement on the incidents of possible sabotage to naval vessels that have occurred in recent weeks, including the incidents at both Devonport and Portsmouth dockyards.
136. Surgeon Lieut.-Commander R. Bennettasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty if he has any 78W further statement to make about recent acts of alleged sabotage in His Majesty's Ships.
§ Mr. CallaghanI would refer the hon. Members to the statement on the Portsmouth explosion made by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister on 24th July. In recent months there has been an increase in the frequency of cases of malicious damage in His Majesty's Ships. These have, in the main, been of a minor character, clumsy in execution and in all probability committed by disgruntled individuals, and the Admiralty has no reason to suppose that these acts are part of a planned campaign of sabotage.