§ MR. H. C. LEAI beg to ask the First Lord of the Admiralty whether he is aware that Admiral Lord Charles Beresford is chairman of John Henry Andrew and Company, Limited, Toledo Steel Works, Sheffield; whether it is permitted by the Admiralty that naval officers on full pay can engage in any form of business whatever; and will he state whether the firm above mentioned have during the last five years received any contracts from the Admiralty, and, if so, the value of such contracts in each of the five years respectively.
§ MR. McKENNAThe reply to the first part of the Question is in the affirmative according to the latest published information. Naval officers are not forbidden by the King's Regulations to engage in business, but are forbidden to have any pecuniary interest or personal advantage in contracts for the supply of goods to the naval service There is no record of any contract having been placed by the Admiralty with this firm during the last five years.
§ MR. H. C. LEAArising out of that astonishing reply, Sir——
§ *MR. SPEAKEROrder, order! The hon. Member is not entitled to take the 1471 opportunity of Questions to make remarks on the replies given. If the hon. Member has another Question to put, let him put it courteously.
§ MR. H. C. LEAIn deference to your remarks, Sir, I may say that the reason why I said the reply was astonishing was that I understood that no officer or man on full pay in the British Navy——
§ *MR. SPEAKERThe hon. Member is now arguing. He had better put down his Question.