HC Deb 08 March 1877 vol 232 cc1581-2
MR. SHAW LEFEVRE

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty, Whether he will lay upon the Table of the House any fresh instructions recently issued to the superintendents of dockyards making them directly responsible for the work of the shipbuilding and manufacturing establishments of their respective dockyards?

MR. HUNT

No fresh instructions have been recently issued to Superintendents of Dockyards as to their responsibility. This is laid down by Article 2 of the Dockyard Instructions, as follows:— The Admiral or Captain Superintendent shall have full and complete authority over all the officers and other persons whatsoever employed in the dockyard, and shall superintend and control every part of the business carried on therein and works afloat performed by them (subject to the foregoing Article); and he is to exercise the power vested in him as often as he may see occasion, for the purpose of enforcing obedience to all orders and regulations issued by us, or by himself, to the end that every person may discharge the duties of his office with zeal, alacrity, and fidelity, to ensure which he has the power of suspending any officer, clerk, or other person belonging to the dockyard, reporting to us the cause and circumstances of each suspension, in order that the case may be dealt with as it may appear to require. He is further invested with power and authority to discharge all workmen who, by bad conduct or inattention to duty, shall have proved themselves unfit to be retained in the public service, but no officer or clerk is ever to be dismissed without our sanction. The form which was in use in making communications to the Superintendents was—The Superintendent is requested to "inform the officers," or to "direct the officers." Those words have been recently ordered to be omitted, so as to remove all doubt as to their responsibility.

MR. SHAW LEFEVRE

Is it intended to alter their responsibility for the work of the shipbuilding and manufacturing establishments in their respective Dockyards?

MR. HUNT

No; certain words have been omitted to take away all doubt as to the meaning of the old Dockyard instruction?

MR. SHAW LEFEVRE

Is it intended to make them directly responsible?

MR. HUNT

They are directly responsible for all that goes on in the Dockyards, according to the Order. No alteration has been made in the regulation, and, therefore, they are bound by it.