Mr DAVIDSON - 1 thought that I had answered this question fairly fully yesterday in reply to a question asked by the honorable member for Hughes. I am not sure whether the honorable member for Dalley was in the House then, so, just briefly, I shall recapitulate the facts. There has been a reduction in the number employed at Garden Island in the last year or two owing to the fact that special work that was carried out there for several years - starting from 1952 - on the conversion of our " Q "-class ships has been completed. The island is now going back to its normal functioning, which provides for a complement of about 2,100. I informed the honorable member for Hughes yesterday that provision had been made in the Estimates for the retention of a work force at Garden Island at that normal level of 2, 1 00, and that there was no immediate intention to make a reduction below that level. I also pointed out that, when it was found necessary, because of the volume of work being reduced, to put men off, every effort was made to give them other employment, either at Cockatoo or at Williamstown, or through the Department of Labour and National Service.