In the House of Commons this afternoon, in reply to a question, the Secretary of State for War, Mr. 'Thomas Shaw, stated that the W: (Office hail followed the Government' policy in slowing down or suspend~ ing work on the Singapore Base. No new orders had been given, and work bad been retarded of guspend-Jed where possible, The First Lord of the Admiralty, Mr, A. Vi Alexander, told the Hous that the new floating dock of the Singapore Buse had, been utilized. Te was not proposed to move it to some other port during the suspension period. 'The decision to suspend work on the Base did not involve any transfer, discharge or disband ent of any' personnel directly controlled by the Admiralty. No notice of suspension had been given to the contractors, but the Admiralty was communicating with them with re-[gard to slowing down work.
Mr, Alexander added that the decision to suspend work on the Sing: pore Base did not involve the closing [down of the anti-malarial measures {in the neighbourhood of the Base.
In reply to a further question, Me. A. F. Montague, answering for the Government, stated that so fae £270,000 had been spent on the Air Base at Singapore and that £300,000 was required for its completion. The facilities being provided would serve not only for local defence, but also for the maintenance of British it communications with the Fat East and of shore trade, and the repair and equipment of air units allocated to the naval forces in those waters.
Mr. Montague said the strength of the air forces which would be normally maintained at "Singapore, as at present contemplated, would be one squadron of land machines and one squadron of flying-boats, excluding any fleet air arm units which might occasionally be disembarked there.
He added that no change had been made as a result of the decision suspend work on the Naval Base—Reuter?
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