§ Lord CHARLES BERESFORDasked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether the quantities of coal shipped coastwise to ports where the Admiralty is in the habit of receiving amounted for the first three months of 1909 to 157,000 tons, for the first three months of 1910 to 227,000 tons, and for the first three months of 1911 to 162,000 tons; how much of this coal was for trading purposes; whether, on and after 15th March last, no reports of any Admiralty chartering came out for a considerable time; whether, since the beginning of April, 1911, nine colliers between them loaded 29,100 tons of coal and 4,000 tons of patent fuel for consumption at Mauritius, Malta, Gibraltar, and Ascension; and 1347W whether the Board of Admiralty are satisfied that this will replace the consumption abroad during the period covered?
§ Mr. McKENNAThe Admiralty has no information of coal shipped coastwise for trading purposes. It is not considered to be in the interests of the service to supply information as to the number of colliers chartered and the quantities of coal shipped for naval purposes; but the Admiralty are satisfied that the shipments which have been made or arranged are sufficient to replace expenditure and to maintain reserves, which are now at a much higher level than at either of the dates quoted by the Noble Lord.