MR. GORSTasked the Secretary to the Admiralty, If he could state why the Lords of the Admiralty have excluded the Royal Marines from the operation of the recent Army Order, which requires that whenever an officer is disadvantageously reported upon he is to be informed of the particulars of such report by the officer making it, and have directed that in the Royal Marines such report may be communicated to the officer or not at the discretion of the Colonel Commandant; and, whether he sees any objection to officers of the Royal Marines having the same opportunity of knowing the particulars of any disadvantageous report made against them as is accorded by the recent 1252 alteration in the Queen's Regulations to Officers of the Army?
§ MR. CAMPBELL-BANNERMANIt is not the case that the Royal Marines have been excluded from the operation of a recent Army Order. The Royal Marines are not affected by the General Orders issued to the Army, but are subject to the control of the Board of Admiralty and to the regulations for the government of the Navy. As a matter of fact, the General Order referred to has not introduced any new practice into the Army, but has merely altered the manner in which an officer receives information of an unfavourable report made upon him. The rule in the Navy, which applies to the Royal Marines, is that it is left to the discretion of the officer making a report to decide whether or not he shall communicate it to the officer reported upon. This rule was adopted after careful inquiry, as being most in accordance with the general wish of the Service.
MR. GORSTinquired whether there was not an Admiralty Circular which expressly stated that the officers of the Royal Marines were excluded from this Order?
§ MR. CAMPBELL-BANNERMANsaid, that his attention had not been called to such a document; but he would inquire whether anything to the effect indicated by the hon. and learned Member had been issued.