§ MR. WILLIAM ALLAN (Gateshead)I beg to ask the Secretary to the Admiralty if he will lay upon the Table the Reports of the Captains of H.M.S. "Excellent" and "Vernon," also that of the Chief Inspector of Machinery at Portsmouth Dockyard, with reference to the transference of engineering duties to the gunnery and torpedo officers.
§ MR. ARNOLD-FORSTERIt is contrary to the usual practice to lay upon the Table confidential Departmental Reports, and it is not proposed to depart from the practice in the present case.
§ MR. WILLIAM ALLANMay I ask if these Reports were not condemnatory of the action of the Admiralty in appointing gunnery lieutenants as engineers?
§ * MR. SPEAKEROrder, order! The right hon. Gentleman has declined to make public these Reports.