§ MR. COCHRANE (Ayrshire, N.)I beg to ask the Secretary to the Admiralty whether Her Majesty's ships Superb and Galatea have now returned from their cruise to Shetland for the purpose of training the Naval Reserve there; what number of men of the Naval Reserve have undergone the course of training in each of these ships respectively; and what has been the cost to the country of sending these ships on this duty?
SIR U. KAY-SHUTTLEWORTHThese ships have not visited Shetland. The Galatea has returned from Lerwick, and the Superb from Stornoway. Only four men of the Naval Reserve have undergone the course of training in the Galatea, and none in the Superb. This is the first year of an experiment new to the men. Unfortunately, the season turned out to be inopportune, and the inducements offered seem not to have been considered sufficient to make the men volunteer. This service has entailed no additional expense to the country, the cost of the fuel expended being covered by the amount provided in the 1249 Estimates for the ordinary cruising of these ships.