§ MR. LOUGH (Islington, W.)I beg to ask the Secretary to the Admiralty whether two sections of the Fleet were manœuvring in different directions in the Channel without lights on the night of June 2nd; whether the Board of Trade regulations with regard to sounding the steam siren were observed when the fog came on and the "Afghanistan" was run down, involving the loss of nineteen lives; and, if so, whether the Admiralty will take care in future that such operations shall be confined to less crowded seas than the English Channel.
§ THE SECRETARY TO THE ADMIRALTY (Mr. PRETYMAN,) Suffolk, WoodbridgeThe Channel Fleet was manœuvring without lights in two columns of divisions line ahead shortly before midnight on June 2nd. At the time of the collision, which occurred more than an hour later, the ships were proceeding on their course and showing navigation and steam lights. The Answer to the second part of the Question is in the affirmative. The Admiralty consider it inadvisable to exclude any of the waters of our coasts from the manœuvre area of our Fleets.