§ 6. Mr. HUNTasked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether he will lay upon the Table of the House the interim Report of the Royal Commission on Oil Fuel?
§ Mr. CHURCHILLI have nothing to add to the reply given to the Noble Lord the Member for Portsmouth on the 10th of February last.
§ Mr. HUNTIs this Commission a public one and will the expense be paid out of public funds—and are not the public, therefore, entitled to its Report?
§ Mr. CHURCHILLNo, Sir. The inquiry is confidential and the Report has been made on that basis.
§ 7. Mr. HUNTasked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether the five ships of the "Dreadnought" type designed for oil fuel were designed for that fuel before the Royal Commission on Oil Fuel reported at all; and, if so, will he explain why this was done?
§ Mr. CHURCHILLThe reply to the first part of the question is "Yes." I have already explained to the House the reasons for which these ships were so designed.
§ Mr. HUNTCan the right hon. Gentleman say why there was all this secrecy and hurry over the oil transactions when we had to go back to coal-driven ships directly afterwards?
§ Mr. CHURCHILLI gave very full information to the House, and I could not at present add anything that would be useful.