asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty what tenders were made by British firms for twenty merchant ships now being constructed in Poland for Indonesia.

British shipbuilders are not required to report to the Admiralty what inquiries they receive to quote for building merchant ships. I regret, therefore, that the information is not available.

At a time when fifteen times as much tonnage is being placed by British shipowners with foreign shipbuilding works, as compared with the 1 per cent. which is coming here from foreign owners, is not it time that the Admiralty took a much more determined line about this and did its utmost to help our shipyards to obtain work, such as these orders in Poland?

I really do not quite know what the hon. Gentleman is getting at. The Admiralty is extremely interested in helping the shipbuilding industry. All I said was that the shipbuilding industry does not have to report to the Admiralty any inquiries it receives, and therefore, to that extent, I cannot answer the Question.