§ Lord CHARLES BERESFORDasked whether men working upon the battleships "Neptune" and "Orion" were refused permission to go on leave in order to attend camp and carry out their training in the Territorial Force; whether it is customary to allow dockyard men fourteen days' leave per annum; whether men belonging to the Territorial Force who have already been granted leave have had it cancelled within the last few days; whether he will state the number of men belonging to the Territorial Force who were refused leave; and whether he is aware that the intimation refusing leave was only received at a late hour and has caused a serious depletion of strength in each unit going to camp?
§ Mr. McKENNAYes; some men in Portsmouth Dockyard were not given leave, as they could not be spared owing to the urgent nature of the work they were engaged upon in the "Orion" and "Neptune." The number concerned was about seventy.