MR. CORRYasked the Secretary to the Admiralty, Whether the Committee on Designs of Ships of War has been called on to report on certain modifications which have been proposed by the Admiralty of the designs of Her Majesty's 321 ships "Devastation," "Thunderer," "Fury," and of the four ships of the Cyclops class; if so, whether the building of those ships will be suspended until the Committee shall have reported fully on the subject; and, whether the Committee will be requested to report generally on the designs, and not on proposed modifications only; and, if so, whether the building of the ships will be suspended until the report of the Committee shall have been considered by the Admiralty?
§ MR. BAXTERIn reply to the right hon. Gentleman, I beg to say that the Committee on Designs of Ships of War has been called on to report not only on the modifications which have been proposed by the Admiralty on the designs of the ships referred to, but generally on the designs as well. He will find this in the Instructions given to the Committee for which the hon. and gallant Member for Stamford (Sir John Hay) moves to-night; and a fortnight ago a letter was addressed to the Committee begging that the Reports on vessels of the Devastation and Cyclops classes should be considered at the very earliest period, and as soon as the Report is received it shall have the immediate attention of the Admiralty. The four ships of the Cyclops class are being built by contract, and it would, therefore, be impossible to suspend the work, and the Devastation and the Thunderer are so far advanced that it has not been thought desirable to stop the work on them; but the work on the Fury will be suspended in the meantime.