HC Deb 20 June 1980 vol 986 cc716-7W
Mr. Wall

asked the Secretary of State for Defence how the costs of ship repairs in Gibraltar dockyard compare with Her Majesty's dockyards in England.

Mr. Hayhoe

Comparisons of the costs for refits of Leander-class frigates has shown that although the inclusive cost per manweek of ship repair work at Gibraltar is less than the cost in the four United Kingdom Dockyards, the overall cost of ship refits can be marginally greater. Among the reasons for this is that Gibraltar has a proportionately higher incidence of operational defect work than any United Kingdom Dockyard. This can have a disruptive affect on refit work.

Mr. Wall

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what work for the Royal Navy is being carried out in Gibraltar dockyard; and what work is envisaged in the future.

Mr. Hayhoe

Her Majesty's dockyard, Gibraltar, is now undertaking a frigate normal refit and a mine countermeasures vessel major refit. Its future programme comprises single streams of frigate and of MCMV refits. Its other main task is the rectification of defects in operational ships.