§ MR. BELLAIRS (Lynn Regis)I beg to ask the First Lord of the Admiralty in view of the fact that sister ships to H.M.S. "Gladiator" which are in full commission carry as many as five lieutenants, or four lieutenants, and a sub-lieutenant, for watch-keeping duties, in addition to the specialist gunnery and navigating lieutenants, and that the Navy List where this information is given shows no lieutenants whatever for watch-keeping duties on board H.M.S. "Gladiator," and only the specialist gunnery and navigating lieutenants who have very arduous duties to perform, whether he can state if any watch-keeping lieutenants were drafted into H.M.S. "Gladiator" for her cruise in very bad weather from Plymouth to Sheerness via Portsmouth.
§ THE FIRST LORD OF THE ADMIRALTY (Mr. MCKENNA) Monmouthshire, N.All the lieutenants are available for watch-keeping duties. With regard to the last part of the Question, Lieutenant M. C. Brotherton was lent for service in the "Gladiator," so that there were three lieutenants in the ship available besides the commander.
§ MR. BELLAIRSI beg to ask the First Lord of the Admiralty what is the full complement of H.M.S. "Gladiator"; and what was the size of the nucleus crew with which she proceeded from Plymouth to Portsmouth en route to Sheerness.
§ MR. McKENNAThe full complement is—23 officers, 424 men, total 447. The nucleus crew on board was—13 officers, 244 men, total 257.
§ MR. BELLAIRSDoes that include the supernumeraries on passage?
§ MR. McKENNANo, Sir. They are not included in the nucleus crew.