§ Mr. FALLEI beg to ask the First Lord of the Admiralty a question of which I have given him private notice. Why a turbine steamer of such length as the "Rewa" was chosen for the accommodation of the Members of this House; if it is not her length which is said to prevent this steamer from following the Royal yacht, and whether on the last occasion of a Naval Review the steamer selected for the Members of this House did follow the Royal yacht and Admiralty yacht; and why such a precedent has been departed from; whether the "Rewa" will be anchored in the line, and so afford Members of this House small opportunity of viewing the Fleet; and whether it is not still possible to provide a ship, or even two ships, which can follow the Admiralty yacht; and whether any facilities for landing from the "Rewa" or other steamer will be afforded to those Members who may wish to land at Portsmouth instead of being carried back to Southampton?
§ Dr. MACNAMARAOn the last occasion of a Naval Review one ship only was chartered by the Admiralty for the accommodation of guests. Nine vessels have been chartered for the accommodation of guests at the forthcoming Naval Review, of which two, the "Rewa" and the "Eskimo" will carry Members of this House. It will be quite impossible for those nine vessels to follow in procession on account of there being insufficient turning room. As was stated by my right hon. Friend the First Lord of the Admiralty, they will steam through the lines before taking up their berths.
§ Mr. ASHLEYMay I ask why vessels of such length were chartered and why not vessels of a reasonable length?
§ Dr. MACNAMARAIt is a question of the number of guests we have to accommodate with comfort, and as far as the length 1522 is concerned, the "Adriatic" was considerably longer than the vessels to which I am now referring.
§ Mr. ASHLEYHas the number of Members of the House of Commons increased since the last occasion
§ Dr. MACNAMARANo; but the number of guests has so much that we require nine vessels. On the last occasion there was only one vessel, the "Adriatic," and now that there are nine we could not take the responsibility of taking those nine vessels down the lines in procession. They will, as I say, steam through the lines before taking up their berths.
§ Mr. PICKERSGILLMay I ask why a larger number of guests have to be accommodated in those nine vessels than on the last occasion?
§ Dr. MACNAMARAThe number of the guests for the review on the 24th comprise Members of the House of Commons and the guests each Member is entitled to bring with him, the Members of the House of Lords and their guests, the Indian Princes, the Colonial Representatives, and the Press, who will now form part of the general guests—they were last time rather badly treated, inadvertently—all those make up a much larger number to be provided for than on the occasion to which I have referred in 1909.
§ Mr. FALLEMy question referred only to Members of Parliament. We naturally wish that our guests should be properly treated, but that is no reason why the House of Commons should on that occasion be neglected.
§ Dr. MACNAMARAThe Members of the House of Commons going down in the "Rewa" and "Eskimo" will go down the lines before taking up their berths. I understand the hon. Gentleman suggests that we should let those two vessels take part in the procession, but then that would be a rather invidious discrimination. I am afraid I cannot put any slight on the House of Lords. Then there are the Colonial Representatives, and we would wish to treat them in precisely the same way, and the members of the Press. Taking it altogether we cannot discriminate. The whole nine must go down or none at all. It would not be safe to send the whole nine vessels down the lines.
§ Dr. MACNAMARATaking up their berths prior to the Review proper will be a much more leisurely proceeding. To go down after the Royal yacht would, in my opinion, be not safe. The hon. Member s proposal is that these vessels should go down after the Review. The length of the vessels, the narrowness of the line, and the difficulty of turning vessels of this character make it impossible for that to be done.
§ Mr. STANIERIs it only the Admiralty yacht that goes down with the King's yacht?
§ Dr. MACNAMARACertainly not. The Trinity yacht goes first, by ancient tradition; then the "Victoria and Albert," then the "Alexandra," and then the "Enchantress."