I move:—
(1) That a sum not exceeding £196 be granted to make good an excess on the grant for Haulbowline Dockyard for the year ended on the 31st day of March, 1929.
As the Interim Report of the Committee of Public Accounts states that the Committee see no objection to the excess Vote for Haulbowline Dockyard, it is unlikely that any discussion will arise when the Vote is moved. The circumstances under which the excess arose are set out on the face of the Vote.
In regard to Sub-head B, which provides expenditure on ship repairing, it is very difficult to forecast expenditure under this head, as it depends altogether on the number and nature of the repair jobs which are given to the dockyard during the period to be covered by the estimate. It happened that in the closing weeks of the year 1927-28 a comparatively large quantity of unexpected work came into the dockyard, causing the excess in question. Receipts in respect of the repair work more than covered the expenditure, but as these receipts are treated as "Extra Exchequer Receipts" they could not be set off against the excess.