asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty what report has been received from the Naval Court Martial Committee; and when it is proposed to publish it.

The Committee appointed under the Chairmanship of Mr. Justice Pilcher presented on 21st February its first report dealing with the court martial aspect of its terms of reference. The report is now under consideration and will be published when His Majesty's Government are ready to announce their decision.

Can the hon. Gentleman say when that will be?

Yes, Sir, when consideration has been given to it.

Is the Parliamentary Secretary aware that the Senior Service has been holding up the whole question of courts martial for a very long time, and that the matter is now very urgent?

Does that mean that the Lewis Report will be published almost immediately as well?

That is a question which should be addressed to the Secretary of State for War.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty why the Royal Naval Hospital at Port Edgar is to be closed; and what alternative accommodation is to be provided for service personnel in the Firth of Forth area who require hospital treatment.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty whether he is aware of the concern caused by the proposed closing of the Royal Naval Hospital at Port Edgar; whether he will make a statement as to the position of the patients and staff involved; and what future use is to be made of the hospital.

As explained by my noble Friend in his statement on the Navy Estimates 1950–51 (Cmd. 7897), the R.N. Hospital, Port Edgar, is being closed because satisfactory arrangements can be made to accommodate naval patients at other military or civil hospitals in Scotland. The naval personnel at Port Edgar will be required for naval service elsewhere. We expect to find it possible to transfer the established civil staff to other naval establishments in the area and will endeavour to do the same for as many as possible of the unestablished staff. The future use of the hospital will be decided in consultation with my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland. The possibility that the Hospital may be required for civil hospital purposes is being borne in mind.

What accommodation will there be for the naval patients to which I have referred in the second part of my Question? Can the hon. Gentleman say to which hospital he will send them?

This will be carried out in consultation with the regional hospital boards; we are working in close consultation with them.

Does the closing of this hospital mean that any decision has been taken with regard to the Rosyth naval base as well.

This decision has nothing to do with the Rosyth naval base.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty how many Royal Naval hospitals are at present in use; and how many of these are situated in Scotland.

The number of Royal Naval hospitals at present in use is 10, of which six are at home and four overseas. The Royal Naval Hospital at Port Edgar is the only naval hospital in Scotland.

Would it not be desirable to keep one of the hospitals in Scotland and close one of the others?

I am sorry, but in present circumstances that is not possible. I would remind the hon. and gallant Gentleman that we do not have one in Wales either.

Is the hon. Gentleman not aware that this decision about the Port Edgar Hospital does, as the right hon. Member for West Lothian (Mr. Mathers) said, raise the whole question of Rosyth; and is it not obvious that if all the medical facilities are taken away it is highly likely that all the naval personnel who require those facilities will also have to be taken away?

As I have said, this has no connection at all with the Rosyth Dockyard decision. We have dispensed with the use of Port Edgar Hospital because naval patients can be accommodated in civilian hospitals.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty to what extent the proposed reductions in civil staff will affect the manning of Sheerness Dockyard.

The only reduction of staff at present planned at Sheerness Dockyard will amount to approximately 130 industrials and 30 non-industrials in the Naval Store Department. The Naval Store supply services at present carried out at Sheerness will, under the re-organised arrangements, be carried out by Chatham Dockyard. As many as possible of the men affected will be offered alternative employment.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty what steps are being taken to provide new and additional married quarters for Royal Naval personnel at Chatham Barracks.

There are no plans for building married quarters for naval personnel stationed at the Royal Naval Barracks, Chatham, at present. Priority is being given to building at remote establishments and isolated naval air stations, where the need is greater.

Is the Minister not aware of the need for additional married quarters at Chatham?

We are well aware of the need for married quarters at all places, but we have made priorities, and up to now the priorities have been the remote naval air stations and fleet establishments. The question of home ports will be considered at a later date.