§ SIR WILLIAM PLOWDEN (Wolverhampton, W.)asked the First Lord of the Admiralty, Whether he will place upon the Table of the House, for the information of Members, a Return showing, for the year 1887–8, first, the amount of labour expended on; second, the value of materials appropriated at Her Majesty's Dockyards at home to each of the ships and services particularized in the Navy Estimates (Appendix) for the year 1887–8, pages 169 to 199 and 216 to 223; third, the dates of delivery at the several Dockyards of ships constructed by contractors?
§ THE FIRST LORD (Lord GEORGE HAMILTON) (Middlesex, Ealing)This information will be given in the Shipbuilding Expense Accounts for 1887–8, which are now in course of completion, and will, it is anticipated, be in a shape to lay before the House in June next. It seems, therefore, unnecessary to anticipate the Return as suggested. This is the first year that particulars of actual expenditure have been available at such an early date after the close of the financial year, past Returns of expense accounts not having been in the hands of Members until over 12 months from the termination of the year to which they relate.