§ MR. KEARLEY () DevonportTo ask the Secretary to the Admiralty whether, in view of the fact that the crew of H.M.S. "Empress of India "is mainly composed of men who live either in Ireland or in the counties of Devon and Cornwall, it would be possible to allow this ship to return to Devonport for the purpose of giving the crew Christmas leave, instead of Portland, to save expense to the men in reaching their respective homes.
(Answered by Mr. Arnold-Forster.) I think the hon. Member must have been misinformed, as the decision to retain the "Empress of India" at Portland for the Christmas leave was only arrived at in consequence of detailed information from the ship showing that the bulk of the ship's company do not belong to Devon and Cornwall, but to other parts of the United Kingdom in readier communication with Weymouth than with Devonport.