§ SIR J. SWINBURNE (Staffordshire, Lichfield)I beg to ask the First Lord of the Admiralty whether he will undertake, with reference to the proposed construction of a graving dock at Gibraltar, to follow the precedent set in the case of the Somerset Dock at Malta, and submit to Parliament all designs and papers referring thereto before entering into any contract or arrangement for its construction.
§ THE FIRST LORD OF THE ADMIRALTY (Lord G. HAMILTON,) Middlesex, EalingThe design and details of the Somerset Dock at Malta were not submitted to Parliament, but certain correspondence and plans showing the position of the new dock were presented to Parliament after the work had been taken in hand. The responsibility for 1629 the selection of a suitable site and plan of the proposed dock at Gibraltar must rest with the Government, and the Board of Admiralty are fully prepared to accept that responsibility.