§ Miss Vickersasked the Civil Lord of the Admiralty what is the programme of work for the Royal Naval Dockyard, Devonport, for the next five years.
§ Mr. C. Ian Orr-EwingIt would not be in the public interest to disclose the programmes of work for Her Majesty's Dockyards so far ahead as to do so would reflect fleet plans.
§ Miss Vickersasked the Civil Lord of the Admiralty when the reorganisation and civilianisation of the Royal Naval Dockyard, Devonport, is to commence on 10W the lines of that already in operation at the Royal Naval Dockyard at Chatham.
§ Mr. C. Ian Orr-EwingThe reorganisation of the professional departments of Devonport Dockyard is not planned to commence before 1965 but we shall be reviewing the position in 1964. In the meantime a series of improvements in the detailed planning and control of work have already been put into effect, and will continue at a rate depending largely upon the speed at which staff trained in the new procedures can be made available.
The principle underlying the reorganisation is that it shall be on a functional basis but professionally qualified naval officers will continue to be employed in dockyard posts as heretofore, except that as the Admiralty Engineering Service develops it is hoped to employ also some professionally qualified civilian mechanical engineers.