§ Mr. NEWTONasked the First Lord of the Admiralty, in view of the fact that, under Section 5 of the Navy and Marines 1024 (Wills) Act, 1865, a will made on shore by a seaman of the Royal Navy must, in order to be valid to pass naval assets, not only be a valid will in the ordinary legal sense of the term but must also comply with Sub-section 3 of Section 5 of the said Act, which requires that one of the attesting witnesses must be one of those enumerated in that sub-section, and in view of the fact that this provision is not generally known among the men, with the result that the testamentary intentions of deceased seamen are often defeated, if he will take steps to have all seamen in the Royal Navy acquainted with the exceptional requirements of the Act as regards wills made on shore?
§ Dr. MACNAMARAIt is the fact that a will made by a seaman of the Royal Navy is not valid to pass naval assets unless it be attested in accordance with the requirements of the Navy and Marines (Wills) Act, 1865. The King's Regulations contain provisions relative to this Act; but as cases do occasionally arise of a character similar to that to which the hon. Gentleman has recently called my attention, I will take steps to supplement these by the issue of directions which will lead to the requirements of the Act being made generally known throughout the Fleet.