53. Mr. Whiteleyasked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether he is aware that prominence has been given to the fact that at the recent launching at Devon-port of a new minesweeper the guests included the Government candidate in the by-election for the Drake division, while no invitation was sent to the Labour candidate; upon whose authority was the invitation to the Government candidate sent; and whether he will state the reason for this differentiation as between the two candidates?
§ 54. Mr. Ridleyasked the First Lord of the Admiralty why, on the occasion of the launching of the minesweeper "Leda," at Devonport, on 8th June, the Conservative candidate in the pending by-election of the Drake division, Colonel Guest, was invited to be present at the ceremony, and the Labour candidate, Mr. G. T. Garratt, was not?
§ The Civil Lord of the Admiralty (Lieut.-Colonel Llewellin)I understand that, as in the case of all smaller vessels launched in His Majesty's Dockyards, the launch of the "Leda" was an unofficial occasion, to which all guests were invited in their personal capacity only. I have ascertained that Golonel Guest, being an old friend of the Admiral Superintendent, was included in his personal list of guests solely on that account.
§ Mr. RidleyIs the hon. and gallant Gentleman aware that very deep resentment has been aroused in Plymouth by this piece of political partisanship, and does he not think that this kind of differentiation in the issue of invitations of this kind is a very clumsy method which cannot be too strongly deprecated?
§ Lieut.-Colonel LlewellinThere was no political partisanship at all. The Admiral's calling list is always referred to before a list of invitations is sent out, and 29 it happened on this occasion that Colonel Guest had called on the Admiral Superintendent, and Mr. Garratt had not called on him.