§ MR. REGINALD LUCAS (Portsmouth)To ask the Secretary to the Admiralty whether any gratuity is to be given to the men who were engaged in operations in China in 1900; and, if so, what conditions are to be observed.
(Answered by Mr. Arnold-Forster.) A gratuity will be granted to the Naval 597 and Marine forces engaged in the operations in North China and in the Yangtse Valley from June, 1900, to 31st December, 1900, similar to that awarded to His Majesty's land forces. The Army unit of 24 rupees a share will be adopted and the gratuity paid, as in the case of the troops, to all employed, irrespective of the nature of the services rendered by them, subject only to the proviso that no person shall receive the gratuity in addition to the Pekin prize money unless his share of the prize money be less than his share of the gratuity, in which case the difference between the two amounts will be paid to him. It is expected that the distribution of the gratuity will commence about the beginning of November.