§ MR. HANBURY (Preston)asked the First Lord of the Admiralty, What classes of officials or workmen engaged at Chatham or other public Dockyards are employed in positions of confidence and secrecy; who are permitted to possess information of a confidential nature which has a money value; what precautions are taken as to character, or by moans of an oath or some other binding engagement, to guard against a breach of trust; and, what are the lowest salaries or wages paid to any of such persons?
§ THE FIRST LORD (Lord GEOKGE HAMILTON) (Middlesex, Ealing)All officials, and many of the workmen, are necessarily in possession of information relating to the work upon which they are employed that is more or less confidential. The Admiralty cannot judge accurately what may or may not be sup- 21 posed to have a money value outside the Service. Any item of information, however trivial, may be of money value to some persons. the professional officers and draftsmen are trained and brought up in the Service, and only men of the best character are promoted, or placed in positions of trust. There is no oath or binding engagement made, as a rule, beyond the understanding that breaches of trust are certain, if discovered, to be punished as severely as the powers in the hands of the Department will permit. It is difficult to reply to the last part of the Question, as information relating to special work is open to any intelligent mechanic employed upon it, and whose pay may be as low as 5s. per diem.