§ SIR J. COLOMB (Great Yarmouth)I beg to ask the First Lord of the Admiralty whether he is aware that there is considerable delay in furnishing to non-commissioned officers and men of the Royal Marine forces their parchment certificates after discharge from the Service, and that they seldom receive their parchment certificates sooner than three weeks after their discharge; and, having regard to the fact that without the production of their discharge parchment certificates they cannot get civil employment, will steps be taken to expedite the delivery to them of their parchment certificates?
§ THE FIRST LORD OF THE ADMIRALTY (Mr. G. J. GOSCHEN, St. George's, Hanover Square)I have every sympathy with the desire of the non-commissioned officers and men of the Royal Marines to obtain their parchment certificates as soon as possible after their discharge from the Service. My honourable and gallant Friend is probably aware that 567 the men receive immediately on discharge a "protecting" certificate, which can be produced as evidence of service and character until the parchment certificate has been handed to them. This, as a rule, is done within three weeks of the date of discharge. I am inquiring whether this period can be shortened, but applications for pension have to go through a variety of necessary formalities, which undoubtedly consume much time.