§ 42. Mr. ROBERT HARCOURTasked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether an automatic fire-control system invented by a Mr. Pollen was in whole or part used 1478 by His Majesty's ship "Orion" at her recent battle practice; whether the good firing results obtained by that ship are attributable to the use of this system; whether it is intended to adopt the Pollen system or any other fire-control system in the British Navy; whether the Admiralty has co-operated with Mr. Pollen in the development of his system; and whether it is proposed to take any steps to prevent it being acquired by other nations?
§ Mr. CHURCHILLI am informed that some portions of Mr. Pollen's apparatus were used, but they were not used in accordance with the Pollen system. The good shooting was not attributable either to the Pollen apparatus or to any employment of the Pollen sytem. It is not intended to adopt the Pollen system, but to rely on a more satisfactory one which has been developed by Service experts. In reply to the last part of the question, the Admiralty has given Mr. Pollen considerable assistance in the hope of obtaining a valuable system of fire control for the Navy. The results obtained with his system and the principles underlying it are such that it is not proposed to take any steps to prevent him making public use of all its essential features. This he can do without divulging official secrets connected with the Service system, and he will of course be precluded from disclosing Service secrets of which his connection with the Admiralty has given him knowledge, or from any infringement of the Official Secrets Act, which I have every confidence will, be respected. I should like to add by way of caution, that all these questions connected with fire control are of a highly technical character, and their discussion in the newspapers could not lead to any intelligible conclusion or be attended by any public advantage. So far as the relations between the Admiralty and Mr. Pollen are concerned, I shall be quite prepared on a suitable occasion if desired, to explain them fully to the House. So far as the technical aspects are concerned, I must decline on behalf of the Admiralty to take any part in their public discussion. I can only say that in coming to the decisions which I have stated to the House, and for which I accept full responsibility, I have been guided by the representations of my naval colleagues and the advice of the experts on whom the Admiralty must rely.
§ Mr. BOLANDIs it not the fact that the First Lord himself invited the owners 1479 of this Pollen patent to negotiate with the Admiralty, and the sale not having been carried out are they not entitled to sell it to the best advantage?
§ Mr. CHURCHILLI think if the hon. Gentleman will study the effect of my answer, he will see it covers very largely the point raised by his question.