§ MR. WEIR (ROSS and Cromarty)I beg to ask the Secretary to the Admiralty, in view of the fact that second-class Royal Naval Reserve men enlisted on the understanding that they would be retained in the service until the age of forty-five, will he consider the expediency of relaxing the regulation of 1st April, 1906, under which men of this class are now dismissed on attaining the age of thirty-five.
§ THE CIVIL LORD OF THE ADMIRALTY (Mr. LAMBERT, Devonshire,) South MoltonNo Royal Naval Reserve man has ever been enlisted with the right to be retained till the age of forty-five. The Regulation quoted did not provide for the dismissal of Royal Naval Reserve men second-class at the age of thirty-five, but laid down that men who were thirty-five or over on the 1st April, 1906, should complete their current period of enrolment, but not be allowed to re-enrol. Those under thirty-five on that date have been given the opportunity of qualifying for the new Seaman Class by training afloat, and so remaining in the Reserve until they obtain the gratuity given on discharge.