asked the First Lord of the Admiralty how many shipyards were closed in this country since 1931 by the Shipbuilding Securities, Limited; and how many have been reopened since the beginning of the war?

I would refer my hon. Friend to the reply given to the hon. Member for Govan (Mr. Maclean) on 10th December. My hon. Friend can rest assured that every practicable step is being taken to increase our capacity for merchant and naval shipbuilding.

Is the Minister aware of the facilities that exist?

Yes, Sir, I am aware of the facilities mentioned.

Is the hon. Gentleman making use of these facilities of which he said he was aware?

Yes, Sir. I said that every practicable step was being taken to use these facilities.

There are still some yards shut down.