§ 29. Mr. KELLYasked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether, seeing that the Admiralty has been requested to send a warship to Hong Kong next year in furtherance of a scheme for the organisation of naval Volunteers in the Crown Colony, what authority would bear the cost of the upkeep of the ship and of the training of the personnel; and whether the scheme for the creation of such a naval organisation in the Far East has the approval of His Majesty's Government?
§ Mr. BRIDGEMANThe cost of upkeep of the minesweeper which it is under consideration to send to Hong Kong in connection with a scheme for the organisation of naval Volunteers at that port, and also the cost of training of the personnel, will be met from monies provided by the Hong Kong Government., if the scheme is eventually adopted. The answer to the last part of the question is in the affirmative. This scheme is in accordance with our general policy of encouraging the 1180 formation of local Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve units at certain ports throughout the Empire for purposes of local defence.
§ Mr. BRIDGEMANI cannot say offhand whether exactly the same plan prevails in other places but, of course, there are Royal Naval Volunteer units in other places.