HC Deb 26 February 1895 vol 30 cc1556-7
MR. H. BROADHURST (Leicester)

had given notice of the following question:—To ask the Secretary to the Admiralty, (1) whether the watertight doors of H.M.S. Renown, now being built at Pembroke Dockyard, which were supplied by outside contractors and then placed in position by shipwrights, have been found to be defective; (2) whether fitters were then put to work to rectify the defects, and then taken from the work and replaced by shipwrights; (3) and whether he will appoint a Committee of Experts, with a view to the prevention of these disputes in future. The hon. Member said he understood that an answer had already been given to the first part of the question, and he would therefore only ask the latter portion.

*THE CIVIL LORD OF THE ADMTRALTY (Mr. E. ROBERTSON,) Dundee

As regards the two first parts of the question, I would refer my hon Friend to the reply I gave on the 11th inst. to the same question put by the hon. Member for Stockton-on-Tees. The Admiralty had hoped that the arrangements made last year would have satisfied all parties. A deputation representing the engineering trade in the country has been received by the first Lord some months ago; the shipwright trade have asked for a similar opportunity of stating their side of the case, and that will be accorded to them. It is undesirable, therefore, that I should say anything further in the meantime.