asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty what is the present estimated weekly amount paid in wages to employés in His Majesty's Dockyard at Chatham, and how this amount compares with that paid in a similar week in 1937 and 1930, respectively?

The estimated weekly amount paid in wages to employés in Chatham Dockyard in the week ended the 5th November, 1938, and in the corresponding weeks of 1937 and 1930 are as follow:

				£
1938	…	…	…	36,183
1937	…	…	…	33,555
1930	…	…	…	24,252

These sums which represent the wages of workpeople only, relate to workpeople serving in the dockyard proper, i.e., on shipbuilding and ship repairing, etc., and in the Works Department. They do not relate to the workpeople of the Armament Supply or Victualling Departments.