asked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether he is aware that pressure is being used in certain ships to get shipwrights to accept the new scheme; and will he say if this is done with his authority?

I am not aware of the exercise of any pressure. We wish the choice of the men to be quite unlettered.

Is the right hon. Gentleman now in a position to say whether the Admiralty have considered the question of the time limit?

I promised the Noble Lord in the last Session of Parliament that the question would be considered. I am doing that at the present time.