§ MR. WOOTTON ISAACSONI beg to ask the First Lord of the Treasury whether it is the intention of Her Majesty's Government to make arrangements this year for Members to view the Fleet and Dockyards at Portsmouth?
SIR U. KAY-SHUTTLEWORTHIt has never been the practice for Her Majesty's Government to make any special arrangements for parties of Members to visit the Fleet or the Dockyards, nor could the cost of such visits be properly charged to Navy Votes. The noble Lord the Member for Middlesex (Lord G. Hamilton) entertained a party of Members at Portsmouth last year at luncheon at his own expense, and arrangements were made to visit the Royal Sovereign and the new cruisers. The question whether invitations of such a character should be given in any year appears to me to be one for the private consideration of the First Lord of the Admiralty. The present summer has been darkened by the loss of the Victoria, and has not seemed an appropriate time for an entertainment like that of last year.
§ MR. WOOTTON ISAACSONMay I ask whether the right hon. Gentleman could arrange for Members to visit the Fleet and Dockyards without anything in the nature of an entertainment?
SIR U. KAY-SHUTTLEWORTHNot only any Member of this House, but any taxpayer in the country, can visit the Dockyards without any special arrangements when a request of that sort is made.