§ MR. COURTHOPEI beg to ask the Secretary to the Admiralty whether he has called for any reports of experts as to whether an inspector with personal experience of foundry work might have been expected to discover the flaw in the rudder-casting recently supplied for H.M.S. "Edward VII."; and, if so, whether he will lay the reports upon the Table.
§ MR. LAMBERTThe staff of inspectors consists of persons of long and large experience in foundry work, and I am informed that this defect could not have been detected by visual inspection.
§ MR. COURTHOPEWill the Admiralty consider the advisability of calling in as experts men of practical experience?
§ MR. LAMBERTWe do not see any necessity; our inspectors are men of large experience in these matters. This was a very exceptional case.
§ MR. COURTHOPEBut only last week the hon. Gentleman said the inspectors had had no practical experience.
§ MR. ARTHUR HENDERSON (Durham, Barnard Castle)Have they had experience in foundry work?
§ MR. LAMBERTNo practical experience in the sense that they have worked in a foundry, but they have had large experience in superintending this class of work for the Admiralty, which is perfectly satisfied with them.
§ MR. ARTHUR HENDERSONIs the hon. Gentleman aware that engineers in general know less about foundry work than of any other department?
§ [No Answer was returned].