§ MR. WILLIAM ALLANI beg to ask the Secretary to the Admiralty 964 what is the nature of the perusal of the Boiler Committee's Report required by the Admiralty before printing it for issue to Members of Parliament; further, if in such perusal the findings of the Committee are subject to any modification by the Admiralty officials.
§ MR. ARNOLD-FORSTERIn reply to the first part of the hon. Member's Question, I have nothing to add to the reply I gave him on the 16th instant.† The insinuation contained in the last paragraph of the Question is entirely unwarranted, and requires no reply.
§ MR. EDMUND ROBERTSON (Dundee)May I ask whether the Report has been before the Admiralty for three weeks, and in what way will the public service be prejudiced by publication. Is the hon. Gentleman now in a position to give an undertaking to publish the Report before the next stage of Vote 8, and before Vote 12 is taken?
§ MR. ARNOLD-FORSTERI can assure the hon. Gentleman that, as soon as the Report has been examined, it will be at once circulated.
§ MR. EDMUND ROBERTSONWhy not now?
§ MR. WILLIAM ALLANIs it the case that this Report is at the present moment lying at the Admiralty ready for delivery?
§ MR. ARNOLD-FORSTERNo, Sir, it is not.