HC Deb 06 August 1896 vol 43 cc1688-90
MR. FORTESCUE FLANNERY) Yorkshire, Shipley

I beg to ask the First Lord of the Admiralty if his attention has been called to the verdict of the coroner's jury in the case of the accident to one of the boilers of H.M.S., "Blake," and to the committal of the fleet engineer in charge of her machinery for manslaughter; whether in the case of a large ship with a large number of subordinates, the engineers in charge are held by the Admiralty responsible to the extent of personal criminalty for the negligence of any of those working under them as to the condition of the parts of the machinery; and, whether the Admiralty will take steps to provide proper legal assistance to the fleet engineer concerned when taking his trial upon the coroner's committal.

THE FIRST LORD OF THE ADMIRALTY (Mr. G. J. GOSCHEN,) St George's, Hanover Square

My attention has naturally been called to the verdict of the coroner's jury in the case of the accident on the Blake. The questions raised by it are too grave for me to be able to deal with them in a reply to a question across the Table of the House, but I need not assure the hon. Member that I am studying them with anxious attention. It will certainly be the duty of the Admiralty to see that steps are taken for the protection of the interests of all concerned.

    c1689
  1. COUNTY SURVEYORSHIP (IRELAND). 127 words
    2. cc1689-90
  2. STREET PREACHING (SLIGO). 147 words