§ MR. BRAMSDONTo ask the Secretary to the Admiralty, having regard to the fact that the Admiralty about three years ago granted the extra pay of 6d.per day to stoker ratings performing the clerical duties to the engineer officer of certain ships of the fleet, and that in some ships with nucleus crews this pay is being withheld although the duties are equal with nucleus and full complements, whether their Lordships will consider if they can arrange for this apparent inconsistency to be remedied.
(Answered by Mr. Edmund Robertson.) The answer to the first part of the Question is in the affirmative, subject to certain conditions being fulfilled. The allowance is paid in such nucleus crew ships as are considered to comply with the conditions. The question whether the allowance should be paid depends upon whether the clerical duties are such as to call for the grant of extra pay. The extension of the allowance to certain nucleus crew ships not hitherto allowed it is now under consideration.