§ COLONEL LUCAS (Suffolk, Lowestoft)I beg to ask the Secretary to the Admiralty if he will lay upon the Table of the House, directly he receives it, the report of the court of inquiry which is sitting to investigate the breakdown of the steering-gear of H.M.S. "Cressy," by which her departure to the China station will be delayed for some weeks.
§ THE CIVIL LORD OF THE ADMIRALTY (Mr. PRETYMAN, Suffolk, Woodbridge)It is not the practice of the Admiralty to publish the proceedings of courts of inquiry, which are considered confidential. No satisfactory explanation of the accident to the steering gear of H.M.S. "Cressy" has yet been obtained. When the cause of the accident has been ascertained, I shall be happy to answer a further question on the subject.