§ MR. AUSTEN CHAMBERLAIN (Worcestershire, E.)To ask the Secretary to the Admiralty whether he will lay the Correspondence which has passed between the Admiralty and the Government of the Commonwealth of Australia in regard to the proposed reconstitution of the Australian naval forces, or, if these Papers cannot yet be laid, whether he can give the House any information on the subject.
(Answered by Mr. Edmund Robertson.) Correspondence on the subject referred to by the right hon. Gentleman is still proceeding, and an Admiralty letter having an important bearing on the question was sent out by the Secretary of State for the Colonies by the last mail on the 14th instant. Until this letter has been received by the Commonwealth Government it would be inexpedient that any correspondence should be laid upon the Table.