§ MR. PENN (Lewisham)I beg to ask the Secretary to the Admiralty whether there is a serious deficiency in the engine-room ratings of ships ordered to be mobilised in case of emergency at Portsmouth, Chatham, and Devonport; and, if so, whether he will state the numbers deficient in the several ratings, and whether he will take steps to increase the numbers; and whether any difficulty is found in supplying a sufficient number of engineers, engine-room artificers, and stokers to ships ordered to be mobilised for the Autumn Manœuvres?
THE SECRETARY TO THE ADMIRALTY (Sir U. KAY-SHUTTLEWORTH,) Lancashire, ClitheroeWith reserves called out, there is a sufficiency of engine-room ratings for all the ships to be mobilised in case of emergency. With reference to the second part of the question, no difficulty is found.