§ 45. Mr. BILLINGasked the Prime Minister who was responsible for sending the naval signal regarding the result of the Battle of Jutland, upon which the first official communiqué issued to the public was based; what was the exact wording of the signal; the name of the officer who received the signal at the Admiralty; the name of the officer or official who was responsible for issuing the communiqué to the Press; the exact wording of such communiqué and whether such communiqué, together with such signal, was submitted to the First Lord of the Admiralty for his approval before being issued?
§ The PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARY to the ADMIRALTY (Colonel Sir James Craig)I have been asked to reply to this question. As regards the first and second parts, I must ask the hon. Member to wait for the forthcoming Paper on Jutland, in which he will find the source and the exact wording of all the naval signals relating to the battle. I am unable to say what officer at the Admiralty received in the first instance the particular message referred to. The then First Lord of the Admiralty was responsible for issuing the communiqué to the Press. For the exact wording of the communiqué, and for a full statement by the then First Lord of the circumstances in which it was issued, I would refer the hon. Member to the morning newspapers of the 3rd June and 8th June, 1916.
§ Mr. BILLINGAre we to understand from that reply that the then First Lord of the Admiralty personally wrote the despatch which was issued to the public, and that it was based on the naval signal received from Admiral Jellicoe?
§ Sir J. CRAIGI think that is rather different from the question on the Paper, 2089 as to which I have given the fullest possible information. Perhaps if he requires details the hon. Member will put a further question down.