Why conservative governments retained public dockyards

Did keeping Royal Dockyards and state arms factories require a socialist approach to government?

No; the discussion points to aristocratic and right-wing governments that retained them for bargaining power, cost information, and reliable access to armaments.

The reply places public dockyards and arms factories within the practice of aristocratic and right-wing governments. Ministers could regard private profit as legitimate while still wanting their own information about what ships and weapons cost. Owning production facilities let the government maintain essential capacity by meeting operating costs, without also meeting a contractor's profit expectations. Quiet periods could support maintenance and upgrades while retaining skilled workers. Later River-class patrol-vessel orders are criticized as an expensive way to keep private yards operating between major programs. The argument is that retained public capacity made the government a better informed buyer and less dependent on commercial suppliers.