§ MR. MAURICE HEALY (Cork)I beg to ask the Secretary to the Admiralty (1) whether he has received a communication from the Royal Sailors' Home, Cork, applying for an increase of the annual grant to the Home given by the Admiralty: (2) whether he is aware that this grant was some years ago £100 per annum, but was reduced to £25 per annum, and could he explain the reason for this large reduction; (3) whether he is aware that 1,170 men of the Royal Navy availed themselves of the Home during the past year, and that the expenditure for the year was considerably in excess of the receipts; and (4) whether the Admiralty will increase the grant?
§ CAPTAIN DONELANI beg to ask the Civil Lord of the Admiralty whether, in view of the large and increasing number of sailors who avail themselves of the Royal Cork Sailors' Home, the Admiralty will consider the desirability of making some addition to their present small annual grant to that institution?
§ THE CIVIL LORD OF THE ADMIRALTY (Mr. AUSTEN CHAMBERLAIN, Worcestershire, E.)The facts are substantially as stated in the first three paragraphs of the hon. Member's Question. The number of men of the Royal Navy using the Home last year appears to have been exceptionally large. The claims of the Royal Cork Sailors' Home shall be carefully considered when the annual grants are made. The whole question of the method of allocating these grants is now under consideration.
§ CAPTAIN DONELANasked whether the recent considerable addition to the naval establishment at Cork Harbour would also be considered?
§ MR. AUSTEN CHAMBERLAINYes, Sir; all the circumstances will be taken into consideration, but I cannot speak very hopefully of being able to raise this grant. A much larger grant is made to Queenstown also.
§ In answer to Mr. CARSON.
§ MR. AUSTEN CHAMBERLAINsaid: The only alteration in the condition of the service is that candidates who failed have been allowed one further trial.