asked the First Lord of the Admiralty what was the cost of refitting His Majesty's ship "Pegasus" at Devonport whilst in dockyard hands recently?

The cost of the refit is £14,798.

asked the right hon. Gentleman whether he recently visited Monte Carlo on His Majesty's ship "Hussar"; how long he remained there; whether His Majesty's ship "Hussar" waited for him in Villefranche Harbour all the time; and what advantage to the nation has accrued from this visit?

His Majesty's ship "Hussar," which is the yacht of the Commander-in-Chief, Mediterranean, was sent by him to Villefranche for the purpose of taking me to Toulon to see the French Fleet. She visited no other ports, and was used for no other purpose.

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that in 1903, when Lord Selborne was First Lord of the Admiralty, two ships of war were placed at the disposal of Mr. Brodrick, not for public purposes but for the purpose of a honeymooning tour?

Can the right hon. Gentleman say how many previous First Lords of the Admiralty visited Monte Carlo in one of His Majesty's ships?

The Noble Lord makes rather a speciality of this kind of question. I have already said in answer to his question that the vessel in question was sent to Villefranche Harbour, and was used only for a public purpose, and not for any other purpose at all. As to the general question as to what has happened in the past, I cannot give the information, but I have always understood that no one used the Admiralty yacht for private as opposed to official purposes so much as Lord Selborne.

I desire to ask you, Mr. Speaker, with reference to the first part of the question as to whether the yacht visited Monte Carlo, and its repetition by the Noble Lord after the statement has been publicly contradicted, whether you will not direct the Noble Lord to withdraw that observation?

It is not unparliamentary to suggest a visit to Monte Carlo.

asked the right hon. Gentleman whether there are men employed as skilled labourers in the Devonport dockyard on responsible duties such as hydraulic and steam-crane drivers, and having charge of boilers, who are still on the minimum rate of 23s. per week; whether he is aware that some of these men have not received a penny increase for upwards of eleven years; and whether he will favourably consider the question of granting these men an increase and make their wages more in keeping with the responsibility of their work?

There are about eighteen skilled labourers employed at Devonport as crane drivers who are in receipt of the minimum rate of 23s. a week, with services as skilled labourers, varying from two years to six years. There is no skilled labourer who has served in that capacity for eleven years employed as a hydraulic or steam crane driver on the minimum wage. The grant of increases of pay within the scale in individual cases is in the hands of the local officers, subject to a prescribed average. The scale, I may say, is from 23s. to 28s., with special rates, the maximum of which is 31s.

How many crane drivers are there at the present time?

I could not say without notice.

asked the number of labourers, skilled and unskilled, employed in the various dockyards under Admiralty authority, stating their different grades and rates of pay?

The numbers of labourers, skilled and unskilled, employed in the home dockyards at the date of the latest complete returns available, namely, for December last, are 10,814 and 3,697 respectively. The rates of wages for the skilled labourers are from 23s. to 28s., with a special rate, the maximum of which is 31s. The rate for unskilled labourers is 22s. I should add that at Haulbowline the minimum rate for skilled labourers is 22s., and for unskilled labourers the rate is 21s. I will circulate the details of the numbers on each grade of the rate, with the Noble Lord's permission, with the Votes; but I may say that as regards the skilled labourers we shall shortly be working to an average rate of 25s. 6d. in each of the Home yards. [See Written Answers this date.]

Why are the men at Haulbowline paid less than men doing similar work at other dockyards?

The minimum fur the skilled labourer is 22s., as against the English 23s. The labourers' flat rate is 21s., as against 22s. That is because both rates compare very favourably with corresponding work outside the naval establishment.

As there are no industries near Haulbowline as there are near other dockyards, how can the right hon. Gentleman get a comparison?

I am dealing with labourers, not with skilled artificers. There is corresponding work for them. The ground we take is that the rates compare favourably with those for outside work. I will not put it higher than that. I am visiting Haulbowline shortly, and I propose to go into the matter again.