§ SIR EDWARD GOURLEY (Sunderland)I beg to ask the First Lord of the Admiralty—(1) how many men of the Coastguard and how many of the Naval Reserves (first and second class) were embarked for service during the recent Manœuvres; (2) whether it is the intention of the Admiralty to redress a long standing grievance of the Coastguardsmen relative to their shore pay, which is 2d. per day less than when afloat; and (3) whether he can see his way to redress a grievance of the Naval Reserves, "that when afloat they shall have pay equivalent to that of the union rate of wages in the Mercantile Marine?"
§ THE FIRST LORD OF THE ADMIRALTY (Mr. G. J. GOSCHEN,) St. George's, Hanover SquareSeventy-eight chief officers and 1,196 men of the Coastguard were embarked in coastguard ships, and 575 Royal Naval Reserve men (comprising 232 first-class, 314 second-class, and 29 firemen) were embarked in various ships. The Royal Naval Reserve men were borne in addition to full complements. There is no proposal before the Board to give coastguard men re-engaged pay of 2d. a day. With regard to the third question, I am unable to see what bearing the union rate of wages in the Mercantile 363 Marine can have on the wages of the Naval Reserve men, whose conditions of service are perfectly different, and who enjoy retainers, which are not paid, so far as I know, by private shipowners.