§ MR. BELLAIRS (Lynn Regis)I beg to ask the Secretary to the Admiralty whether he can state the reasons for the increase in the staff employed in Admiralty work under Vote 12 since the Navy Estimates of 1904–5, being an increase from sixty-eight to eighty-one officials in the 1122 Secretary's department, from 314 to 360 in the department of the Controller of the Navy, and 261 to 290 in the Accountant-General's department; whether the Admiralty Vote for salaries and allowances has gone up from £306,217 in 1904–5 to £329,809 in 1906–7, seeing that there has been a reduction both in the numbers of ships and personnel administered during the period.
§ THE SECRETARY TO THE ADMIRALTY (Mr. EDMUND ROBERTSON,) DundeeThe increase in the Secretary's department amounts to three only, the provision in 1906–7 including ten extra clerks provided for in 1904–5 under Subhead B. Of the increase of forty six in the Controller's department, thirty-one are under the Constructive Branches—being principally drawing staff borne temporarily additional to March 31st, 1907, for work in connection with the "Dreadnought" and new cruiser designs. The development of the Electrical Engineer's department, and the increase of professional work generally account for the remainder. The increase in the Accountant-General's department is almost entirely in the subordinate staff. The reduction in the number of ships and personnel affects only a section of the Department, and even that is more than counterbalanced by increase in the complexity of the work and the shortening of the period of commissions. The increase in the total Estimate is not wholly due to additional numbers. No small part of it is due to progressive increases within the various scales of salary. These are somewhat heavy owing to the staff being comparatively junior.