§ MR. HANBURYI beg to ask the Secretary to the Admiralty how many naval and military commissioned officers respectively hold appointments in the Naval Ordnance Department; and whether the number of military officers in this Naval Department is in any way due to the deficiency of executive officers in the Navy; and, if not, what is the reason for it?
SIR U. KAY-SHUTTLEWORTHThere are 19 naval and 17 military officers in the Naval Ordnance Department. The number of military officers is in no way due to any deficiency of executive officers in the Navy. But at the time of the transfer of the Naval Ordnance Stores it was arranged at the instance of the Treasury that the military officers then holding appointments should be utilised. As vacancies occur in certain of these appointments, they will be filled by the promotion of warrant officers in the Navy.