HC Deb 25 February 1890 vol 341 cc1156-7
MR. GOURLEY (Sunderland)

I beg to ask the First Lord of the Admiralty if he will be good enough to inform the House of the result of the recent surveys held upon the Royal yachts Osborne and Alberta; whether it is correct that the hulls of both vessels are in a large measure unsound; and if he can state the amounts necessary to be expended upon the hulls, outfits, engines, and boilers of each vessel for the purpose of making them seaworthy?

THE FIRST LORD OF THE ADMIRALTY (Lord G. HAMILTON,) Middlesex, Ealing

Some of the timber and inner planking of the Alberta amidships above the turn of bilge are decayed. The stern and some of the timber and planking at the bow, and some of the timber and planking right aft, are also more or less decayed. These are the principal defects. The Osborne has not been found unsound. A little of the outside woodwork at the bow is rotten. It is proposed to expend £9,000 on the Alberta, including cost of annual outfit, and about £5,000 similarly upon the Osborne.

MR. GOURLEY

Does that include the cost of the machinery?

LORD G. HAMILTON

Yes —the repairs.