asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty if he is aware of the serious shortage of scrap iron in the country; and if he will accelerate the process of breaking up the warships now scheduled for this purpose.

Yes, Sir: and every endeavour is being made to ensure that there is no avoidable delay in handing over to the ship-breakers ships scheduled for breaking up.

In view of the serious shortage of steel for municipal houses and ploughshares, will the Minister consider adding a few more obsolete battleships to those to be scrapped?

We are considering that now actually, but I can inform my hon. Friend that more ships have been handed over to the ship-breakers than they have been able to break.