§ COLONEL DENNYI beg to ask the Secretary to the Admiralty whether the Board of Admiralty still appoint officers of junior rank in lieu of chief engineers without according them the rank and pay of chief engineers and whether the Admiralty have nominally altered their custom by calling these officers engineers in charge, while still maintaining the inferiority of the position as regards rank and pay.
§ MR. ARNOLD-FORSTERNo appointments of the nature referred to in the first part of the hon. Member's Question have been made recently. The alteration referred to in the second paragraph of the Question is not nominal, but real. The experience which has been gained with destroyers of various types over a series of years and the familiarity with the engines of those boats which has been acquired by the engineer of the Navy have made it possible to entrust the machinery of the boats to officers holding the rank of engineer, and in some cases to artificer engineers. In a few of the very high speed boats chief 899 engineers have been retained. No disadvantage to the service has resulted from the arrangements now in force.
In reply to a further Question by Colonel DENNY—
§ MR. ARNOLD-FORSTERsaid it was found that officers were exceedingly anxious to take these appointments.
§ COLONEL DENNYI beg to ask the Secretary of the Admiralty if he can state to what extent the commissioned ranks of the engineering branch of the Royal Navy is short of its proper establishment; how many candidates presented themselves at the January examination, and how many at the subsequent examinations, if any; and out of the total number who presented themselves how many were accepted.
§ MR. ARNOLD - FORSTERThe number of engineer officers at present borne is eighty-seven below the increased numbers voted for the present financial year, but as I explained in reply to a similar Question on the 24th April, the annual entries from Keyham and from outside sources, which will considerably reduce this deficiency, do not take place until July. As I also stated on that occasion, no examination for the entry of assistant engineers for temporary service was held in January, there being no applicants for entry. An examination was, however, held in March at which two candidates competed, one of whom entered. The examination for entry to Keyham as engineer students was also held in March, when 117 candidates competed, sixty-nine qualifying, of whom forty-six will be entered. The final examination for passing out of Keyham into the Navy is now being held, and 31 engineer students and six candidates for direct entry are taking part in it.