§ MR. CALDWELL (Lanarkshire, Mid)I beg to ask the First Lord of the Treasury whether the National Defence Committee have considered, or will consider, the propriety of the formation of a ship canal between the rivers Forth and Clyde, so that ships of war may freely pass from the new naval base on the Forth to the river Clyde, thus creating a second naval base on the Clyde, and benefiting the merchant ships trading between the east and west coasts of England and Scotland.
§ THE PRIME MINISTER AND FIRST LORD OF THE TREASURY (Mr. A. J. BALFOUR (Manchester, E.)This subject has not come before the Defence Committee, and I cannot give any pledge that it will be taken into early consideration.