11:30 In the House of Commons, Secretary of State for War, Duff Cooper rose to his feet. “I am pleased to announce to the house, that her majesty Queen Elizabeth, along with the Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret are in Belfast for the launching of the new aircraft carrier HMS Victorious. However five of the current eight Fleet Carriers will be spending the summer months at various dockyards receiving much needed maintenance and repair work carried out. Work on the battleship HMS Duke of Gloucester, has been temporarily suspended, and the construction of the two following battleship of the King George V class will not commence until the FY 1943-44. Work on the five Victorious class aircraft carriers, three of which were ordered in March, will also be held back and reviewed again in FY 1943-44. Victorious and Vengeance are expected to be in commission by Christmas. The current surface fleet has three Fleet Carriers and six light fleet carrier with 732 RNAS combat aircraft. A further three maintenance carriers are also available for combat missions as required. Eight battleships are available for fleet surface action if required.”
The house gave mixed reaction. Conservatives were concerned that naval construction would now be below the numbers required to keep two fleets at operational strength. Labour were concerned at the lack of work in shipbuilding.
“ An order for 6,000 new Centaurus engined Grendel fighters has been placed for the RAF and another 1,000 for the RNAS. 12,000 Lancaster bombers are on order and as well Shorts Sterling production would recommence, with 5,000 powered by the Centaurus radials.”
Labour back-benchers were in uproar as they knew many of the aircraft would be built at safer locations in Canada. The Speaker of the House Edward FitzRoy had to call for order several times.
Mr Cooper continued, “An order will be placed for a new battle tank, armed with a 3” 55 caliber gun firing a 16lbs HE shell and a 17 lbs anti-tank round. The tank would replace the Valentine, Churchill and Matilda’s. It has been estimated that a total of 15,000 vehicles would be required. Contracts have been signed with the Tank Assembly Plant at Port Melbourne, Victoria; Charles Ruwolts Company and the Chullora Tank Assembly Workshops in Sydney. Units will also be built at the Canadian Pacific Railway’s Angus Shops in Montreal, Canadian Tank Arsenal at Longue Pointe, Québeck; Dorman South African Iron & Steel Industrial Corporation and at the Tata works,Tatanagars.
Several British firms including Leyland, LMS Railway, Morris Motors, Metro-Cammell, Birmingham Railway Carriage and Wagon Company, Royal Ordnance Leeds, Royal Arsenal, Harland & Wolf, John Fowler & Co., Ruston-Bucyrus, Vickers at Elswick and English Electric. Vauxhall would also manufacture the tank once production of Churchill was terminated in 1943.”
Again the was uproar at so much work going abroad. Eventually Mr FitzRoy had to banish two Labour MP’s and one each from the Conservatives and Liberals.
Prime-Minister Eden and his deputy Clement Attlee congratulated the house for the majority of support and Ernest Bevin, Secretary of State for Labour remarked, “Let us face the future, knowing that in the needs of today, we, as a nation and commonwealth stand united, in facing down Hitler and his axis of evil.”
The house gave mixed reaction. Conservatives were concerned that naval construction would now be below the numbers required to keep two fleets at operational strength. Labour were concerned at the lack of work in shipbuilding.
“ An order for 6,000 new Centaurus engined Grendel fighters has been placed for the RAF and another 1,000 for the RNAS. 12,000 Lancaster bombers are on order and as well Shorts Sterling production would recommence, with 5,000 powered by the Centaurus radials.”
Labour back-benchers were in uproar as they knew many of the aircraft would be built at safer locations in Canada. The Speaker of the House Edward FitzRoy had to call for order several times.
Mr Cooper continued, “An order will be placed for a new battle tank, armed with a 3” 55 caliber gun firing a 16lbs HE shell and a 17 lbs anti-tank round. The tank would replace the Valentine, Churchill and Matilda’s. It has been estimated that a total of 15,000 vehicles would be required. Contracts have been signed with the Tank Assembly Plant at Port Melbourne, Victoria; Charles Ruwolts Company and the Chullora Tank Assembly Workshops in Sydney. Units will also be built at the Canadian Pacific Railway’s Angus Shops in Montreal, Canadian Tank Arsenal at Longue Pointe, Québeck; Dorman South African Iron & Steel Industrial Corporation and at the Tata works,Tatanagars.
Several British firms including Leyland, LMS Railway, Morris Motors, Metro-Cammell, Birmingham Railway Carriage and Wagon Company, Royal Ordnance Leeds, Royal Arsenal, Harland & Wolf, John Fowler & Co., Ruston-Bucyrus, Vickers at Elswick and English Electric. Vauxhall would also manufacture the tank once production of Churchill was terminated in 1943.”
Again the was uproar at so much work going abroad. Eventually Mr FitzRoy had to banish two Labour MP’s and one each from the Conservatives and Liberals.
Prime-Minister Eden and his deputy Clement Attlee congratulated the house for the majority of support and Ernest Bevin, Secretary of State for Labour remarked, “Let us face the future, knowing that in the needs of today, we, as a nation and commonwealth stand united, in facing down Hitler and his axis of evil.”