§ Mr. WHELERasked the First Lord of the Admiralty, how far the moorings for the new floating dock in the Medway are from Sheerness and Chatham dockyards, respectively; whether it is proposed to convey daily the men working on the floating dock from and to Sheerness or Chatham dockyards; what additional time for the conveying of the workmen will be allowed, and what additional cost of transit will be incurred per week, when the dock is in full work, if the men are brought from Chatham instead of Sheerness?
§ Mr. McKENNAThe moorings are situated 5½ miles from Chatham and 2| miles from Sheerness. The men working on the floating dock will be conveyed daily from and to Chatham dockyard. It is estimated that the men will spend 1½ hours daily in making the journey to and from the dock. If they are employed at work or on the journey beyond the ordinary working hours of the yard, they will be paid for the extra time at the usual rates. The men will be taken from Chatham, and not Sheerness. The estimated additional cost of transit by taking the men from Chatham instead of Sheerness during the annual refit of a battleship is £80 for each week of six days that the dock is actually occupied.
§ Mr. WHELERIf there is such an increase in expense in working the dock from Chatham, why has Sheerness dockyard been neglected?
§ Mr. McKENNAThe question of expense was very carefully examined, and it was found to cost so much more to 195 equip Sheerness as a dockyard suitable to undertake these refits that on the whole it was decided that it was better to work the dock from Chatham.