HC Deb 25 June 1901 vol 95 cc1419-21
MR. GIBSON BOWLES (Lynn Regis)

I beg to ask the First Lord of the Treasury whether His Majesty's Government when laying upon the Table of this House Admiral Rawson's letter or Report to the First Lord of the Admiralty on the Gibraltar works, dated 30th March, intend also to present the letter of the hon. Member for Lynn Regis to the First Lord of the Admiralty on the same subject and dated on the same day.

THE FIRST LORD OF THE TREASURY (Mr. A. J. BALFOUR, Manchester, E.)

I have not had time to consult my noble friend the First Lord of the Admiralty; but if my hon. friend will put his question down on Thursday I shall be glad to answer him. I do not think that in any case the letter of my hon. friend could be laid as part of the Papers embodying the Report of Admiral Rawson's Committee.

MR. GIBSON BOWLES

In that event, will my right hon. friend consider whether he cannot publish this letter separately, and so avoid the necessity I shall otherwise be under of publishing it myself?

MR. A. J. BALFOUR

I do not know that there is any objection to my hon. friend's publishing the letter. There may be parts of it which it might be expedient to make public; but I daresay my hon. friend will exercise a wise discretion in that respect.

MR. GIBSON BOWLES

I shall be quite ready to omit any portion the publication of which may be contrary to the public interest.

SIR FORTESCUE FLANNERY

put a question the point of which was understood to be that there had been no debate whatever on Class 3 of the Naval Votes, which provided for an expenditure of over nine millions. He hoped the First Lord would make special arrangements for some discussion of it.

[No answer was returned]

MR. M'KENNA (Monmouthshire, N.)

I beg to ask the First Lord of the Treasury whether he can state when the promised Reports of the Gibraltar Committee will be laid upon the Table.

MR. A. J. BALFOUR

The Report has been laid, and I hope it will be in the hands of hon. Members by Thursday next.

MR. EDMUND ROBERTSON (Dundee)

I beg to ask the First Lord of the Treasury whether he can state on what day he proposes to make his promised statement of the decision of the Government as to the naval works at Gibraltar.

MR. A. J. BALFOUR

If the hon. Gentleman will put a question to the Secretary to the Admiralty on Thursday, I think he will be able to make such a statement as can be compressed into the limits of an answer to a question.