ABSTRACT
Following the passing of the 1889 Naval Defence Act, Admiralty orders constituted a substantial and regular component of the output of the private sector shipbuilding industry. The Admiralty's policies were effectively being determined by the major shipbuilders of northern England and Scotland. Admiralty orders were important in volume terms and also provided an important source of high-value work, but also raised two interrelated issues of considerable political importance: the regional allocation of contracts and the provisions made for 'fair wages'. Inevitably, the regional allocation of major government contracts was a political issue, although the Admiralty naturally claimed to be even-handed in all their decisions. The allocation of naval contracts was made more controversial because of its linkages with issues concerning the payment of 'fair wages'. The construction of the Admiralty's destroyers had cost more than expected, largely because of the new turbine technologies, although repeat orders had now been agreed at a higher price.
