§ 84. Sir E. CORNWALLasked the President of the Board of Trade whether he will say what enemy prize ships have been sold by order of the Marshal of the Admiralty, what amounts they were sold for, and whether he can give any information as to the amounts they were resold for after the auction; whether it is now proposed to offer by auction the prize steamer "Prinz Adalbert"; and, if so, why this course is taken in preference to the Government taking over the vessel and retaining its use during the continuance of the War?
§ The PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARY to the ADMIRALTY (Dr. Macnamara)I will send my hon. Friend a list of enemy prize ships which have been sold by order of the Marshal of the Admiralty, showing the amounts they were sold for. But there are, of course, no official records of any resales that may have taken place, and we have no control over these vessels when once they have been sold. I should add that it is our policy to requisition every condemned prize that we can profitably use. As regards the prize "Prinz Adalbert," we have been using her on Government service, but we now propose to sell her by auction. I should add that she is not suitable for conveying troops, and being fitted up for passage traffic it is not considered economical to incur the expenditure that would be necessary to adapt her for other purposes.