§ Mr. Juddasked the Minister of State for Defence whether he will make a progress report on the work undertaken during the past year to improve the amenities and working conditions for industrial and non-industrial civilian staff and for naval staff in each of the Royal Naval Dockyards; and whether he will make a statement on the steps he is taking towards future improvements particularly for the industrial staff.
§ Mr. BuckThe extensive modernisation which is being undertaken at Her Majesty's Dockyards, Portsmouth and Devonport, and the further developments 271W at Rosyth, will improve not only the efficiency of the yards generally but the working conditions, in that the lighting, heating, toilet, messing, clothes stowage and similar facilities being provided in the new workshops and offices will fully match the best modern standards. A number of specific amenity facilities for industrials and non-industrials working afloat and for naval staffs are also included in the development programmes.
The main projects completed or underway during the past year have been, at Portsmouth, a new office block, a canteen, a toilet block, new pipeworking and heavy plate shops, and two new afloat support centres; at Devonport, the new covered frigate complex, nuclear submarine docking facilities, new pipe-working and prefabrication workshops and improved amenities for the smithery and the yard services department; at Rosyth, a new canteen.
The additional developments which are planned for the next eight years or so include further improvements to workshops, offices and other facilities, and, in particular, a new apprentice training centre at Portsmouth, a nuclear submarine refitting complex at Devonport and a small ship refitting complex at Rosyth.
At Chatham some improvements have been made to workshops and other facilities and the need for further modernisation is being considered.