§ MR. F. E. SMITHI beg to ask the Secretary to the Admiralty, whether in view of the fact that the Admiralty have placed the six so-called first-class battleships, "Sanspareil," "Anson," "Camperdown." "Benbow," "Howe," and "Rodney," in the class of obsolete warships on which no money is spent for maintenance, their names will be removed from the next annual Return of Fleets (Great Britain and Foreign Countries) when at present they appear in the list as first-class battleships; and whether he can explain why these ships appear in the Navy List, while a number of cruisers in the same class of the reserve have had their names removed from the Navy List.
§ MR. EDMUND ROBERTSONThe question of removing the six battleships named from the next annual Return of Fleets will certainly be considered. The hon. and learned Member does not mention the names of the cruisers to which he refers, but I am informed that there are no cruisers in the same class of reserve as that to which the ships mentioned by the hon. and learned Member belong.
§ *CAPTAIN HERVEYWill the right hon. Gentleman undertake that the annual Return of the ships presented to this House shall include only those ships which are considered by the Admiralty as efficient for taking their place in the line of battle?
§ MR. EDMUND ROBERTSONThe Return is made in obedience to the order of this House, and perhaps that order will have to be amended.
§ *CAPTAIN HERVEYWill the right hon. Gentleman see that the order of the House is amended?
§ MR. EDMUND ROBERTSONI am desirous that the Return should give an accurate, complete and faithful picture of the strength of the Navy.
§ MR. BELLAIRSHave the Admiralty received any protest from the mover of the Return against the form in which it is given?
§ *SIR CHARLES DILKE (Gloucestershire, Forest of Dean)I never made a protest because the Return must be made in the form which the Admiralty think most convenient.