§ Mr. Onslowasked the Secretary of State for Defence how long it takes, and how much it costs, to overhaul a Royal fleet auxiliary in one of Her Majesty's Dockyards; and what are the equivalent figures when this work is done on commercial contract.
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§ Mr. JuddThe figures have varied widely from ship to ship; in the past virtually all RFAs have been refitted by outside contractors. This, coupled with the fact that the minor programme of such work now being undertaken at Chatham and Devonport is geared to use up pockets of temporary spare capacity, means that no direct and valid comparison can be made.