§ 19. Lieut.-Commander KENWORTHYasked the First Lord of the Admiralty what is the annual cost of the Admiralty yacht "Enchantress" when paid off and in order to keep her efficient; what is her monthly cost when commissioned; whether it is proposed to commission her this year; and, if so, for what purpose?
§ The FIRST LORD of the ADMIRALTY (Mr. Bridgeman)The annual cost of upkeep of His Majesty's ship "Enchantress" on a care and maintenance basis is £6,493, but of this figure £4,833 represents expenditure on the pay, allowances, etc., of naval personnel provided for war services, who are made use of in peace to look after the vessel. The net ex- 499 penditure directly due to the maintenance of this ship is therefore £1,660 per annum. As regards the second part of the question, His Majesty's ship "Enchantress" is now practically never commissioned for so long as a month at one time, and it is hardly feasible, therefore, to give the figures asked for. The extra cost involved in commissioning the ship amounts to the differences in allowances for certain officers, consumption of stores, electric light, etc., His Majesty's ship "Enchantress" was recently commissioned on the occasion of the Board inspection of the naval establishment at Portsmouth; she has since paid off, and nothing has as yet been arranged for her use during the rest of the year.
§ Lieut.-Commander KENWORTHYIn view of the limited use made of this vessel, will not the right hon. Gentleman consider the advisability of getting rid of it altogether as a matter of economy?
§ Mr. BRIDGEMANI am always ready to consider any offer that may be made.