§ CAPTAIN DONELANI beg to ask the Secretary to the Admiralty whether, in view of any contemplated increase in the strength of the Royal Navy, and of the desirability of affording Irish boys the same facilities for joining the Naval Service as are enjoyed by English and Scotch lads, the Admiralty will take into further and favourable consideration the urgent necessity that at present exists for a training ship in Cork Harbour?
§ MR. ARNOLD-FORSTERBefore the right hon. Gentleman answers, may I ask him if it is a fact that some months 1038 ago he received a similar request from the Harbour Board, the Corporation, and the Chamber of Commerce of the City of Belfast, in which the advantage and great convenience of a ship in Belfast Lough, and the facilities afforded for communication with the West Coast of Scotland were pointed out? Under these circumstances, will he consider the claims of Belfast in this matter?
SIR U. KAY-SHUTTLEWORTHThe hon. and gallant Gentleman has asked me a similar question on two or three occasions earlier in the Session, and I am afraid I can add little to the answers which I then gave—to the effect that there is no present intention of increasing the number of boys' training ships; but that, should any need for increase arise, the relative advantages of Cork and other places in the United Kingdom will be considered. Nearly half the number of boys entered in Ireland for the Royal Navy come from Cork. The actual numbers for 1892–93 are for the whole of Ireland 220, and from Cork 97. The Board of Admiralty have noticed with pleasure the number of boys thus supplied by the county which the hon. and gallant Gentleman represents. They have also very good reason to be satisfied with reports recently received as to the quality of boys supplied to the Royal Navy from Ireland.
§ CAPTAIN DONELANMay I ask whether the facts stated do not constitute a strong case for placing a training ship at Cork, especially as Queenstown is the headquarters of the Royal Navy in Ireland?
SIR U. KAY-SHUTTLEWORTHI am afraid the hon. and gallant Member is asking for an expression of opinion, and it is not usual to give that in answer to a question.
SIR U. KAY-SHUTTLEWORTHIf that question had been asked a year ago I should have been constrained to answer Yes; but since that time any over-crowding has been considerably diminished in consequence of the steps taken.