§ Sir C. KINLOCH-COOKEasked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether his attention has been called to the inequality of the weekly amount paid to chargemen in the Devonport Dockyard; whether a certain number, and, if so, what percentage of the whole, are paid 1s. 6d. a week, while the remaining chargemen are paid 1s. a week; in what way does the supervisory work performed by charge-men receiving the higher amount differ from that performed by chargemen receiving the smaller amount; and whether he can now see his way to place all charge-men in the Devonport Dockyard on the same footing by awarding them a uniform payment of 1s. 6d. per week?
§ Mr. McKENNANo chargemen are paid either 1s. 6d. a week or 1s. a week charge pay. I am aware that some chargemen are paid 6s. a week and some 9s. a week additional to their trade pay, but the numbers in each case are not in any fixed ratio. The difference between the duties of the chargemen getting 9s. a week and those getting 6s. a week charge pay may not be very great—if it were the difference in pay would probably be more marked. The chargemen have petitioned the Admiralty direct in regard to their pay, and their requests will shortly be answered; in the meantime it is not considered desirable to anticipate the reply.