§ 98. Mr. G. Thomasasked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether he is aware of the decline in the position of our shipyard industry relative to that in other countries; and what steps he is taking to deal with this matter.
§ Mr. DigbyThe shipbuilding output of the United Kingdom has remained fairly steady over the last three years and order books are well filled for several years ahead. Shipbuilding in other countries has, however, expanded considerably in recent years, consequent on rehabilitation of European shipyards and removal of restrictions on the German and Japanese industries. As already announced, the steel allocation for shipbuilding is again being increased from 1st January next.