§ Mr. NIELDasked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether, during the past ten years there have been eight submarine disasters, involving a loss of eighty-nine lives; if not, will he state the number of disasters and lives lost, respectively, during that period; will he say whether in these cases few, if any, bodies were recovered under twenty-four hours' immersion; and whether in some cases five weeks elapsed between the occurrence and the recovery?
§ Dr. MACNAMARAIncluding an explosion in Submarine C8 on 13th June, 1907, in which one officer lost his life, there have been in all nine disasters, involving the loss of ninety lives during the period mentioned. The answer to the second part of the question is in the affirmative. With regard to the last part of the question, the time that elapsed before recovery of the bodies was in one case forty-four days, in another thirty, and in a third five. As the hon. Member is no doubt aware, in three cases of the loss of submarines the bodies were not recovered. The three remaining cases were cases of explosion.
§ Mr. NIELDasked the First Lord of the Admiralty if he will state whether the Board of Admiralty are in possession of any patented or other apparatus, and, in such case, what is the name of such apparatus and inventor respectively, for 177W indicating the whereabouts of sunken submarines or other vessels; and was this or any apparatus of like character in use in the case of the loss of any, and which, of the submarines lost during the past ten years?
§ Dr. MACNAMARAThe Admiralty are not in possession of any patented apparatus of the kind referred to in the question, although during the last ten years a very great number of such devices—many of them patented—have been brought to their notice. An Admiralty design for a detachable buoy his been in existence for several years, but it has not been fitted in any completed submarine. The answer to the second part of the question is in the negative. In connection with the general subject, I would refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer given by my right hon. Friend to the hon. Member for Devonport on the 12th February last.