§ Sir O. THOMASasked the First Lord of the Admiralty if he will lay upon the Table a copy of the Report made by the traffic manager of the London and North Western Railway Company who, in March, 1918, was attached to the Ministry of Shipping as transportation officer, which Report was to the effect that it was not necessary to escort the Holyhead and Kingstown mail packets; and whether, in consequence of that Report, the escort of armed destroyers, which had been pro- 2403W vided after the attack on the R.M.S. "Leinster" on the 28th December, 1917, was withdrawn, with the result of the total loss of the "Leinster" on the 10th October, 1918?
§ Mr. LONGNo official of the London and North Western Railway Company served on the transport staff or in the Ministry of Shipping during the War, and no such Report as that referred to is known. With regard to the question of escorting the Holyhead and Kingstown mail steamers, the Admiralty policy was that it was better to use all available destroyers on patrol to hunt submarines, than to divert them as escorts for the fast Holyhead. boats The speed of these vessels (given by Lloyd's as 23½ knots) was itself some measure of protection; and moreover was such that in heavy weather, such as prevailed when the "Leinster" was sunk, destroyers could not keep pace with them. Escorts were provided occasionally when destroyers were available, and they were provided for a few days after the attack on the "Leinster" on the 27th December, 1917, but they were withdrawn early in January, 1918.