LORD CLAUD JOHN HAMILTONasked the First Lord of the Admiralty, Whether he will lay upon the Table any Reports made by the Admiralty in answer to inquiries from the Home Office in 1870 as to the eligibility of Filey as a harbour of refuge and a rendezvous for Naval purposes; whether it is true that a Naval Officer made an official inspection of the north-east coast, with a view to its defensive capabilities during the past year; and, whether he made any Report upon the subject; and, if so, whether there is any objection to lay it upon the Table?
§ MR. GOSCHEN, in reply, said, he had to state that as far as he was aware, although he had endeavoured to search the records on the subject, no Report had been made by the Admiralty to the Home Office, in reply to the inquiries to which the noble Lord alluded. Communications had been personal, and not by written Reports made to the Home Office. And, in answer to the second Question, a naval officer had inspected the North-east coast with a view to certain defensive purposes; but as to the Report made, he thought he should have the concurrence of the House, when he suggested that it would not be desirable to publish Reports of a confidential character made by officers as to the capacities of any part of the coast for defensive purposes.