THE MASTER OF ELIBANK (Edinburgh, Midlothian)I beg to ask the Secretary to the Admiralty whether, seeing that the duties of the Royal Artillery officers who act as inspectors of ordnance at Gibraltar, Malta, and other naval dockyards are principally naval, he will take steps to secure that these appointments shall be held in future by naval officers, and say whether it is contemplated to create a separate naval ordnance branch to discharge these duties.
§ * THE SECRETARY TO THE ADMIRALTY (Mr. PRETYMAN,) Suffolk, WoodbridgeThe appointment of naval officers as inspectors of ordnance at the places named would entail a duplication of staff for inspection duties, and as the present system works well, it is not considered desirable to create a separate naval inspection department.