§ Sir REGINALD POLE-CAREWasked whether, in 1910, instructions were sent to the dockyard authorities to show the Japanese Commissioners everything in our dockyards which they might wish to see?
Mr. LAMBERTThe instructions as to what is to be shown to foreign officers are necessarily confidential, and it would not be in the public interest to publish them.
§ Sir R. POLE-CAREWWas it done with the permission of Parliament?
§ Sir R. POLE-CAREWBut was it with the consent of the House of Commons?
§ Mr. MITCHELL-THOMSONWere reciprocal advantages obtained for our representatives visiting Japanese Dockyards?
Mr. TYSON WILSONasked how many joiners are at present employed in the Director of Works department at Portsmouth Dockyard and how many of them are getting more than the minimum rate of wage?
Mr. LAMBERTSixty-four carpenters and joiners are at present employed, four of whom are in receipt of more than the minimum rate. It should be stated, however, that the minimum Admiralty rate per hour is higher than the district rate per hour.
§ Sir CLEMENT KINLOCH-COOKEasked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether the present system of giving increases of pay to established engine-fitters has been the cause of discontent, mainly due to the fact that servitude and merit do not appear to be taken into consideration when rises of pay are given out; whether there are a number of established engine-fitters with twenty, twenty-five, and thirty years' service in the dockyard at Devonport receiving only 34s. 6d. and 36s. per week, and men are being established with short service and at a higher rate of pay, a procedure which prevents men, established many years ago, from getting any increase of pay owing to the limited number of men allowed on the various ratings; and whether he proposes to take any action in the matter?
Mr. LAMBERTIt has not been possible in the time available to obtain the information required to enable me to reply to the hon. Member's question today, and I must ask him to postpone it for a week.
§ Sir CLEMENT KINLOCH-COOKEasked when replies will be given to the petitions from the Royal dockyards?
§ Sir CLEMENT KINLOCH-COOKEasked the number of men discharged from Devonport Dockyard since the 1st May?
Mr. LAMBERTThe number of men discharged from Devonport Dockyard since the 1st May is seventy-three, which includes twenty-seven belonging to the Works Department.
§ Sir C. KINLOCH-COOKEI sent a letter this morning to the First Lord of the Admiralty pointing out that I had made the mistake of putting down the 1st May instead of the 1st March. Was not the letter received?