§ MR. WEIR (Ross and Cromarty)I beg to ask the Prime Minister, in view of the fact that Cromarty Firth affords excellent anchorage for His Majesty's Fleet, and that the harbour at Invergordon, opposite to which the fleet frequently anchors, is in direct railway communication with both the south and north, will he state whether a Report as to the expediency of establishing a naval base at Cromarty Firth has yet been considered by the Defence Committee.
§ THE PRIME MINISTER AND FIRST LORD OF THE TREASURY (SIR H. CAMPBELL-BANNERMAN, Stirling Burghs)The natural advantages afforded by the anchorage in Cromarty Firth as a place of shelter for His Majesty's ships are fully recognised; but no need for creating a naval establishment there is likely to arise. The Admiralty, rather than the Defence Committee, would deal with such a question should it arise.