§ SIR WILLIAM PLOWDEN (Wolverhampton, W.)asked the First Lord of the Admiralty, Whether the inflexible, turret ship, 11,880 tons, costing upwards of £900,000, has been reported unfit to send to the Mediterranean, the cast-iron pathways under her turret rollers having shown signs of weakness and wear; whether these pathways were known or reported to be defective more than eight months ago; whether their state was known to the authorities before and during the repairs, amounting, it is reported, to over £60,000, which this vessel recently received in the Portsmouth Dockyard; what will it cost to replace these defective cast-iron pathways by others made of steel, or of other metal, and what time it will take; who is responsible for the fact that a vessel costing nearly £1,000,000, that has undergone in the yards recently a thorough 1457 repair at a cost of £60,000, and has been passed into the first class steam reserve, is now reported, so it is publicly stated, to be unfit to go to the Mediterranean and, to which branch of the Admiralty or Dockyard does the responsibility attach?
§ THE FIRST LORD (Lord GEORGE HAMILTON) (Middlesex, Ealing)The roller-paths of the Inflexible have become somewhat worn during the time she has been at Portsmouth and since she was passed into the First Reserve, owing to her having been used for drill purposes by the Excellent's training classes; but not so much so as to prevent her being sent to the Mediterranean if required. As the period of commission abroad would be three years, it was determined not to send this ship to a foreign station, if there was a likelihood of her requiring repairs before that period of time had been passed. The state of the roller-paths was perfectly well known when the ship was under repair; but as they were efficient for some time longer it was decided not to replace them until it was necessary to remove the guns for re-lining, when the work would be much simplified. The recent expenditure on the ship has not been on repairs merely, but mainly in carrying out extensive alterations. The cost of replacing the roller-paths will be about £3,000, if the time chosen for so doing is coincident with the removal of the guns.