HC Deb 17 July 1899 vol 74 cc990-1
LOARD CHARLES BERESFORD (York)

I beg to ask the First Lord of the Admiralty, seeing that British military officers serving in the Soudan were allowed to count their time for promotion, under Article 22 of the Royal Warrant for Pay and Promotion, and for retirement, under Article 500 (a) and (c), will he explain why British naval officers serving before the enemy in the Soudan campaigns are not allowed to count their time for promotion and for retirement; and in view of the fact that the naval officer commanding the Naval Brigade in the 1884–5 campaign was not allowed to count that time towards promotion, and the naval officer commanding the Naval Brigade in the 1896–8 campaign was not allowed to count his time towards retirement, whether he can see his way to recommending Her Majesty that in future all naval officers on active service before the enemy, assisting the Army in land campaigns, shall be allowed to count such time for promotion and pension after they have served three years in command of a ship-of-war at sea, whether such command takes place before or after their service on shore.

THE FIRST LORD OF THE ADMIRALTY (Mr. GOSCHEN,) St. George's, Hanover Square

The noble Lord is in error in supposing that the British naval officers serving in the Soudan on the occasions in question were not allowed to count their time for retirement. Under the regulations the time has been allowed to count in full towards retirement, but not for promotion. With reference to promotion, the conditions of the naval and military services are obviously dissimilar. The Admiralty have always attached the greatest importance to the strict fulfilment of the conditions which require for the promotion of naval officers certain fixed periods of service in a ship-of-war at sea. Although, in the case of captains, service obtained previously to the fulfilment of this condition counts towards increase of their full and half pay, and pension, and retirement, it is not allowed to count towards promotion. To this rule it is intended to adhere. The previous qualification of three years' service required in the case of captains has, by a recent Order in Council, been reduced to two. In no case has it occurred that officers employed in such services as those mentioned in the question have failed to obtain the necessary time for promotion.