§ Mr. NEWTONasked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether he is now in a position to state the result of his full inquiry regarding the punishment by warrant at Parkeston, early in the month of February last, of leading signalman Thomas Black; whether the punishment then inflicted was after due trial as laid down in the Regulations; whether Black's request to be allowed to lay his case before the commodore was refused, and, if so, properly refused; what has been the position of Thomas Black in the service during the progress of the inquiry; and what further, if any, steps he proposes to take in the matter?
§ Mr. McKENNAI regret that the inquiry has been inevitably postponed owing to the illness of one of the principal witnesses. I can assure the hon. Member that there shall be no avoidable delay.