§ *MR. HUNT (Shropshire, Ludlow)I beg to ask the Secretary to the Admiralty whether he will, by the institution of a Departmental Committee, or in some other way, take steps to present to Parliament and the country the actual facts relating to the imposition and infliction of corporal punishment in the Royal Navy.
§ MR. PRETYMANNo. The facts are well known, and have been repeatedly stated in this House.
§ *MR. HUNTasked how it was that if there was the slightest suspicion of illegal flogging of the Chinese, that the Colonial Secretary at once set to work to find out if there was any truth in it, whilst the Secretary to the Admiralty would do nothing to make sure that British boys under eighteen years of age did not suffer from ill-treatment.
§ MR. SWIFT MACNEILL (Donegal, S.)Seeing that the number of birchings is given, why cannot we have the number of canings returned? Is it not the fact that they are computed at 10,000 a year?
§ MR. PRETYMANI do not think so.
§ MR. SWIFT MACNEILLWill you, as a matter of fact, say if the number can be given?
§ MR. PRETYMANThey are included in the minor punishments.
§ MR. SWIFT MACNEILLBeing of every-day occurrence.