asked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether he has now completed his inquiries as to why over a quarter of the officers of the Royal Navy who have been posted to the Imperial Defence College are retired or unemployed, as compared with none unemployed, and only one in 13 and one in 19, respectively, unemployed in the Army and the Royal Air Force; and what steps he intends to take to ensure that in future the Admiralty pay adequate attention to combined staff training?

I have inquired very carefully into this matter, and I have satisfied myself that there is no ground for thinking that there is any tendency in the Admiralty to underrate the importance of combined staff training or the value of the instruction given at the Imperial Defence College. According to the most recent figures 17 per cent. of the Naval Officers who have passed through the College in the last 10 years are not in active employment. This percentage is higher than those in the other Services, which may be fortuitous, or may be due to the fact that while due weight should be, and is, given to other considerations, the final test for promotion to Flag rank on the active list must be the qualities shown by an officer when holding a responsible command at sea.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether, in the selection of naval officers for the higher command and for staff appointments, any preference over sea-time and seniority is given to those who have had staff training?

In selecting officers for high command and for staff appointments all their qualifications are taken into account including, of course, any staff training they may have had and the aptitude they may have shown for this particular work.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty the naval units at present maintained on the China station; and comparable figures for the corresponding date 12 months ago?

I would refer the hon. Member to the relevant issues of the Navy List, copies of which are in the Library.

Are the auxiliary ships on this station also shown in that list?

Yes, Sir.

Does the list in the Library indicate the British members of the naval units who have been killed by Japanese aggressors out there?

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty what new ships of the Royal Navy have been named after British coastal towns during each of the past two years; and whether, in order to stimulate national interest, he proposes to name any new ships of the Royal Navy after British coastal towns?

Of the vessels of the 1936 and 1937 New Construction Programmes three will bear the names of coastal towns in the United Kingdom. As regards vessels of future programmes, I would refer my hon. Friend to the last part of the answer which I gave him on 3rd November.