§ MR. G. HOWELL (Bethnal Green, N. E.)I beg to ask the Civil Lord of the Admiralty, whether any steps have been, or are being, taken to advance duly qualified engine-room artificers to the position and rank of warrant officers; and, if so, what steps have been taken in this direction; whether he can state to the House why candidates from amongst the ranks of the engine-room artificers were not allowed to compete for the position of temporary service engineers, a body now wholly drawn from outside sources; and, whether the Board of Admiralty will consider the advisability of instituting an intermediate grade of engineer artificers who shall occupy the status of assistant engineers, with avenues to promotion according to merit, upon passing the ordinary examination suitable to such rank?
§ THE CIVIL LORD OF THE ADMIRALTY (Mr. E. ROBERTSON,) DundeeThe inquiries made by the hon. Member on the subject of the present status and rank of engine-room artificers cannot be conveniently dealt with in the limited scope of an answer to a question. I will therefore ask him to wait until the Navy Estimates come on for discussion in the House. I may, however, state that the hon. Member is under a misapprehension as to engine-room artificers not being allowed to compete for the appointment of temporary service engineers. Provided that an engine-room artificer possesses the qualifications laid down in the Regulations for the entry of these engineers, the Admiralty have no wish to discourage them from entering into competition with other candidates whenever the convenience of the Service allows of it.