§ *SIR CHARLES DILKEI beg to ask the Secretary to the Admiralty whether in the water-tube boiler inquiry the necessity for carrying engineer officers on board men-of-war having water-tube boilers was considered and regard had to the Report of Admiral Melville, Engineer-in-Chief of the United States Navy, as to the effect on machinery of war ships of the substitution of less completely trained men for engineer officers in the United States Fleet; whether it is intended to improve the status of engineer officers in His Majesty's Navy, and to increase the number of all ranks and ratings in the engineer branch of the Navy.
§ MR. ARNOLD-FORSTERThe question of the training of officers and men of the Engineer branch of the Navy is one that is continually receiving the careful attention of the Board of Admiralty, and the Report of the Engineer in-Chief of the United States Navy has been considered in common with other information bearing upon this important subject. As regards the latter part of the right hon. Baronet's Question, provision has been made in the Estimates for the forthcoming year for a considerable addition to the number of Chief Inspectors and Inspectors of Machinery, thus increasing the prospects of promotion to the higher ranks of the Engineer branch, and the numbers of all ranks and ratings will be increased from time to time as required by the growth of the Fleet.