§ 19. Sir ALFRED BUTTasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty whether he is aware that the arrangements made for Members of Parliament to witness the Naval Review were quite inadequate, and that the accommodation. provided was insufficient and unsuitable for ladies who accompanied Members of Parliament; why other guests of the Government were provided with superior accommodation on the "Princess Marguerite"; and whether in future he will take steps to arrange for Members of Parliament to have accommodation equal to that provided for other Government guests after the Cabinet and the Lords- of the Admiralty, even if this necessitates a charge in excess of £1 per head?
§ Mr. AMMONI regret that the economies imposed upon the naval Service made it impossible to provide accommodation for guests upon the scale of former reviews, when special vessels 2039 were chartered. As the hon. Member is aware, the cost of the arrangements could not be borne upon Navy Votes, and only such sum as could be spared from the Government Hospitality Fund was available. Indeed, in the interests of public economy, the Admiralty endeavoured to limit the sum to be expended lo a very low figure, and it may be that, in the attempt subsequently to find room for as many as possible of the distinguished visitors from overseas now in this country, the mark was somewhat overshot, with the result that some discomfort may have been experienced. The fact that only one large ship was available made it unavoidable that the accommodation for guests should be unequal. I may say that reports are being collected as to the experience of all the arrangements for the review, and, no doubt, as the result of the information they contain, it will be possible to avoid next time some grounds which may have existed for complaint on the present occasion.
§ Mr. HOGGEWhy were facilities not afforded on this occasion to Members to see over the Fleet, and why were we confined to viewing the Fleet, which was not in the least interesting?
§ Mr. AMMONI only heard of that fact to-day, and I rather regret there was some limitation in that respect.
§ Sir A. BUTTWhy were the guests of the Government considered superior to Members of this House; and if there was, as the hon. Gentleman states, only sufficient money to charter one large ship, why were Members of the House relegated to tugboats equipped with chairs from Southsea beach, with the result that the ladies of the party would have been drenched had there been rain?
§ Lieut-Commander KENWORTHYIs there any obligation on the Government to provide accommodation for Members of Parliament on these occasions?
§ Mr. AMMONWith regard to the first supplementary question of the hon. Member for Balham and Tooting (Sir A. Butt), I imagine all Members of the House would support the Government in doing the best they could for our distinguished overseas visitors. With 2040 regard to the other questions, I have already explained that was due to the limits which had to be observed. I may add that I have had many expressions of appreciation from visitors.