§ Sir CLEMENT KINLOCH-COOKEasked the First Lord of the Admiralty if he would explain to the House in what way the duties of first-grade storehouse men differed from those of second-grade storehouse men; whether there was any store charge known in the Devonport Dockyard as a first-grade charge; whether it was customary in the Royal dockyards when a first-grade storehouse man vacated; his position to appoint a second-grade storehouse man to the post without the second-grade storehouse man necessarily receiving any rise of pay; whether he would consider the advisability of discontinuing the present classification; and whether, in place of remunerating first-grade storehouse men at a minimum wage of 33s. a week rising to a maximum of 39s. per week, and second-grade storehouse men at a minimum wage of 26s. per week rising 415 to a maximum of 32s. per week, he would make the minimum wage for all storehouse men 26s. per week, rising by a uniform rate of 1s. a week annually until the maximum of 39s. be reached?
§ Mr. McKENNAThe charges apportioned to the respective storehousemen are allocated by the local naval store officer according to their relative importance, the staff allowed, and the varying circumstances of dockyard work. A classification of charges is consequently not advisable nor practicable. The question of continuing the existing classification of storehousemen has already been considered, and it is not proposed to make any alteration.
§ Sir C. KINLOCH-COOKEMay I ask the right hon. Gentleman to kindly answer the second point, namely, "whether there is any store charge known in the Devon-port Dockyard as a first-grade charge?"
§ Mr. McKENNAI am afraid I could not answer that question off-hand. I regret it is not included in the answer I have given. It is a technical matter of which I have no personal knowledge.