§ SIR E. T. GOURLEY (Sunderland)I beg to ask the First Lord of the Ad- 1061 miralty whether, with regard to the new Admiralty Order for the enrolment of seamen and stokers leaving the Royal Navy on the expiration of their first period of service, the pension will be the same as that of the men who enrol for a second engagement, or only in accordance with the age now applicable to the Naval Reserve; can he see his way in conjunction with the new Order to make the age for pensions the same for both branches of the serviee; can he state the number of seamen, and also of stokers, who have declined engaging for a second period during the past five years; and whether, seeing that men who serve for a second period leave when only about forty years of age and under, he will endeavour to enrol these also in the Reserve.
MR. GOSCHENThe Order referred to by the hon. Member is merely a circular to the Fleet to draw attention to the conditions of service in the Royal Naval Reserve, for which men who leave the Navy at the end of their first period of engagement, or who purchase their discharge, are eligible. The conditions as to pensions in the Royal Naval Reserve were not affected by the circular. The answer to the second question is in the negative. In regard to the third question, I will refer the hon. Member to my answer to the hon. and gallant Member for Yarmouth on the 2nd March last.* The Admiralty have a lien upon all pensioners under the age of fifty-five years, who are liable to be recalled for service in case of emergency, and provision is already made for enrolling in the Seamen Pensioner Reserve pensioners who volunteer and are physically fit. I may add that I am now engaged in considering a further scheme for enrolling in a Reserve seamen and marines who leave the service before the expiration of their time for pension.