§ SIR ROPER LETHBRIDGE (Kensington, N.)I beg to ask the Secretary to the Admiralty who is the officer responsible for the selection of the compositions that are ordered from time to time to be used on the bottoms of Her Majesty's I ships; is this officer an expert, and what previous technical experience and education has he had to qualify him for this important duty; and by whom was he appointed, for how long, and has the appointment been sanctioned by the Treasury?
§ THE SECRETARY TO THE ADMIRALTY (Mr. FORWOOD, Lancashire, Ormskirk)In reply to the first part of the question, the Controller of the Navy; to the second, the Controller is not an expert in the literal sense of the word, but he has large experience, and has the advantage of a most competent officer specially deputed to watch the result of compositions applied to ships of the Navy, and those of the Mercantile Marine. The Controller's assistant in this matter was appointed by the First-Lord in April, 1888. Treasury sanction has not been obtained.