§ 18. Dame Joan Vickersasked the Minister of State for Defence, in view of the fact that his Department stated that it was necessary to put H.M.S. "Otter" out to a private yard because Her Majesty's Royal Dockyards were unable to undertake this refit, why his Department has announced that the personnel in Her Majesty's Royal Dockyard, 417W Devonport, are to be reduced by 500 next year and for several years ahead.
§ Mr. KirkThe decision to refit H.M.S. "Otter" by contract was taken because of a temporary overload of the specialised capacity needed for this task. Meanwhile no statement has been made about reductions in Devonport's labour force next year, although manpower targets designed to achieve the correct balance of trades are being discussed with the trade unions.
§ 27. Dame Joan Vickersasked the Minister of State for Defence, in view of the level of unemployment in the South-West, why he has not given a contract to Her Majesty's Dockyard, Devonport, to build a new ship, in view of that yard's record in recent years in designing and building ships with agreed delivery periods.
§ Mr. KirkThe aim of the Government in allocating the recent naval orders was so far as possible to help to relieve the current difficulties of the shipbuilding industry, especially in those areas like Clydeside and Tyneside which are suffering from very high unemployment and which are particularly dependent on the industry.