HC Deb 28 May 1907 vol 174 cc1467-8
MR. BELLAIRS (Lynn Regis)

I beg to ask the Secretary to the Admiralty whether he is aware that the programme of visits of the Channel Fleet to different ports in Great Britain and Ireland is mapped out to its arrival at Portland on 29th August; and, having regard to the special circumstances of all the admirals in our four fleets being new to their commands, and from twenty-six to twenty-eight out of thirty-two battleships having changed their crews or their fleets this year, while the turbined battleship "Dreadnought" has never been tried manœuvring with fleets, whether he will state when it is proposed to hold the summer naval manœuvres in order to test the new distribution scheme.

THE SECRETARY TO THE ADMIRALTY (Mr. EDMUND ROBERTSON,) Dundee

I have nothing to add to my reply to the hon. Member for North-West Lanark, on the 13th instant,† except that the "Dreadnought" has already been tried manœuvring with a fleet with satisfactory results.