§ MR. J. O'CONNOROn behalf of my hon. Friend the Member for Mid Cork (Dr. TANNER), I beg to ask the First Lord of the Admiralty if it is a fact that the Howe and Galatea at Portsmouth, the Australia and Narcissus at Chatham, and the Aurora at Devonport are lying by, being unprovided with guns?
An hon. MEMBERBefore the noble Lord replies to the question, may I ask you, Mr. Speaker, if it is in order for an hon. Member to put down questions on the Paper time after time, and not take the trouble to attend here for the purpose of putting them?
§ *MR. SPEAKERAs a point of order the hon. Gentleman is entitled to put a question which stands in the name of another hon. Member, but it is only respectful to the House that the hon. Gentleman who gives notice of a question should attend here and put it, unless he is unavoidably prevented from doing so.
§ MR. SEXTONMy hon. Friend is unavoidably absent.
§ LORD G. HAMILTONAs the Return moved for by the noble Lord the Member for East Marylebone will shortly be issued, I will ask the hon. Member to wait for this Return, which will give fuller particulars as to the subject generally than I can compress into an answer to his question. The dates on which it is anticipated that the War Office will have completed the 616 necessary proofs of the guns for the ships named in the question are respectively 30th June, 31st August, 31st May, 20th June, 31st October of the present year.