§ MR. NIELD (Middlesex, Ealing)I beg to ask the First Lord of the Admiralty whether in the Channel and Home (Nore Division) Fleets there has been an abnormal number of courts martial held upon men for breaches of discipline during the past twelve months; and whether this state of things is largely due to the week-end leave which prevails, or has prevailed, during that period.
§ MR. McKENNAI am sending the hon. Member copies of the quarterly returns for last year. There is no reason to suppose that there has been an abnormal number of courts martial in the fleets named during the past twelve months.
§ MR. NIELDI beg to ask the First Lord of the Admiralty what is the especial difficulty or what the disproportionate amount of labour involved which prevents him from informing the House what is the total of the men of all ratings in the various fleets or squadrons, and the number of courts martial held in respect of charges of insubordination or breach of discipline during the past twelve months; and whether those figures being given the department is not competent to give the percentages asked for.
§ MR. McKENNAI have already sent the hon. Member the most recent return showing the number of men tried by court martial in the various fleets. The difficulty in ascertaining the percentages arises from the doubt as to what exactly the hon. Member means when he speaks 1744 of the Home Fleet, Channel Fleet, &c, and to the variation during the year in the composition of the fleets and the numbers of men borne.