§ MR. BELLAIRS (Lynn Regis)I beg to ask the Secretary to the Admiralty whether an estimate can be formed of the value of the services of the engineer cadets at Keyham during the last financial year in refitting the machinery of the "Ringdove," "Traveller," and "Thistle," and for their assistance on other vessels; and whether he will state how far Keyham College is self-suporting as the result of this work.
§ * THE SECRETARY TO THE ADMIRALTY (Mr. EDMUND ROBERTSON,) DundeeA report has been called from the dockyard, and I will communicate the result to my hon. friend as soon as it has been received.
§ MR. BELLAIRSI beg to ask the Secretary to the Admiralty whether the attention of the Board has been drawn to the recent Report of the Committee appointed by the Institute of Civil Engineers, with representatives of all the distinctive engineering bodies, and to the Committee's recommendation in favour of engineering education and specialisation commencing at seventeen years of age; and whether this recommendation will receive the consideration of the First Lord of the Admiralty before steps are taken to stop the entries of engineer students into Keyham in favour of the Osborne cadets entered at thirteen years of age.
§ * MR. EDMUND ROBERTSONThe attention of the Admiralty has been drawn to the Report in question, but it does not appear that the inquiries of the Committee extended to marine engineering as applied to the naval service, nor have any communications passed between the Committee and the Admiralty on the subject. The Report deals with a scheme for the training of youths whose after career and employment would be essentially different from the career and duties of a naval officer.