§ Mr. Geoffrey Finsbergasked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement about the reconstruction of the Dockyards Board and the Dockyards Trading Fund.
§ Mr. William RodgersAs part of our continuing search for improved efficiency in the Royal Dockyards, we recently reviewed the management structure with a view to deciding when and how progress might best be made in the further implementation of the Mallabar Report.722W As a result, reorganisation of the Dockyards Policy Board has taken place with a view to increasing the authority of the Chief Executive Dockyards, who is now the Board's deputy Chairman. Other changes that have taken place involve a new Dockyard wage structure on trial at Chatham and a related plan for improving the control of Dockyard work. A separate Dockyard Vote will come into operation on 1st April next year.
The need now, therefore, is for a period of stability in order that these changes can be fully implemented and the resulting experience assessed. During this time we shall concentrate on implementing planned improvements in management, production programming, manpower planning, financial control and cost accounting. We shall also pursue an up-to-date approach to industrial relations and wages policy. We intend to take a firm decision on the introduction of a Dockyards Trading Fund by January 1978.