§ Sir F. SYKESasked the Secretary of State for War the numbers of power-driven marine surface craft carried on the establishment of the Army for employment in conjunction with military operations other than transport; to what extent naval staff and facilities are employed on their current and special maintenance; whether they are commanded and manned by acting, attached, seconded, or ex-naval personnel; and, if the latter, what arrangements exist for maintaining supply of personnel with recent naval experience?
§ Sir L. WORTHINGTON-EVANSThere are 22 vessels used for towing targets for coast battery artillery practice at; home and abroad, but these are also used for transport of troops and stores when not required for target towing. Naval dockyards and establishments are used for repair and maintenance where it is possible to have work performed there more economically than by contract. As this condition has not been found to exist in the United Kingdom, in practice the only work performed for the War Department vessels by naval dockyards is at Bermuda, Gibraltar and Malta.
No acting, attached, seconded or ex-naval personnel are employed to command or man these vessels, with the exception of a few stokers who belong to the Royal Naval Reserve. The personnel of the War Department vessels, with very few exceptions, are enrolled as boys, and subsequently promoted.