§ Mr. Bishopasked the Secretary of State for Defence, what is the total amount made available each year since 1950 by the Navy Department to the shipbuilding and ship-repairing industries, either directly or indirectly or to individual firms in those industries, by means of grants or loans for capital development, research and development or in any other way; and what control has been and is exercised by his department over this public expenditure.
§ Mr. MayhewApart from certain special facilities in connection with the particular needs of the minesweeper programme in the early 1950's and more recently the nuclear submarine programme, no assistance has been provided by the Navy Department by way of grants, loans or research and development to the shipbuilding and ship-repairing industries. On the other hand, the Navy Department has, during the past 15 years, spent a very considerable sum of money on new construction and repairs. The controls exercised over all this expenditure are those normally associated with the spending of public money.