§ MR. L. P. HAYDENOn behalf of the hon. Member for Rotherhithe (Mr. J. C. MACDONA), I beg to ask the Secretary to the Admiralty whether he is aware that fishermen at Stornoway on the 20th instant reported seeing a large ship bottom up between the Butt of Lewis and 1720 North Rona, very dangerous to navigation; and that Denis Mackenzie, shipowner in Stornoway, has telegraphed for an application to be made to the Admiralty to order the gunboat Renard, now in Stornoway, to proceed to sea at once to destroy or tow ashore this dangerous derelict; and will the Admiralty accede to this request?
THE SECRETARY TO THE ADMIRALTY (Sir UGHTRED KAY-SHUTTLEWORTH,) Lancashire, N. E., ClitheroeIn consequence of a letter from the hon. Member, the attention of the Admiralty was to-day directed to the case of this derelict ship. From other information, her last position appears to be very uncertain, but it is clear that, if she has not sunk already, she is not in any line of heavy trade. To detach one of Her Majesty's ships from other duties to make a search in such a case would be contrary to the practice of the Admiralty. This practice is in accordance with the views expressed by the report of the Committee which recently inquired into the subject of floating derelicts.