§ Lord CHARLES BERESFORDasked whether the First Lord of the Admiralty will quote the paragraph in Circular Letter No. 140, of 19th December, 1902, which states that the rate of pay laid down in Table C had reference solely to engineer-officers advanced to the rank of engineer-commander under the regulations then in force; whether he will state under what regulations the engineer-lieutenant who is specially promoted to engineer-commander receives the rate of 24s. a day; whether he will state why the rate of pay laid down in Table C of Circular Letter No. 140, of 19th December, 1902, had reference solely to engineer-officers advanced to the 2134 rank of engineer-commander under the regulations then in force for the advancement of engineer sub-lieutenants; and whether these officers on advancement were paid at the rate as laid down in Table C of Circular Letter No. 140, of 19th December, 1902, for engineer-lieutenants?
§ The FIRST LORD of the ADMIRALTY (Mr. McKENNA)As regards the first part of the question, no statement of the nature indicated was made in the circular letter referred to. When the regulations then in force were altered by the circular letter of the 1st November, 1903, it was then clearly stated that the accelerated promotion temporarily introduced was not intended to carry with it any benefit as regards full pay. The answer to the second part of the question is Order in Council of 24th July, 1901, which was made applicable to engineer officers under the revised regulations announced in December, 1902, by Section viii. of Order in Council of 28th March, 1903. As regards the third and fourth parts of the question, it was laid down in Section viii. of Order in Council of 28th March, 1903, that existing regulations for engineer officers were to be applicable to officers under their new titles, except as otherwise provided therein. One of the regulations then existing was that, except in the case of promotion for meritorious service, an officer must serve for eight years on the list of chief engineers (now senior engineer lieutenants) before being eligible for the rank of fleet, engineer (now engineer commander). Officers who have been or may be advanced to the rank of engineer commander after eight years on the senior list of engineer lieutenants, have been and will be paid at the rate laid down for engineer commander in Circular Letter No. 140 of 19th December, 1902, namely, 24s. a day.
§ Lord C. BERESFORDUnder this Circular will the position not be that the officers will have exactly the same work to do at a different rate of pay, and will this not be a very great disadvantage to the Service? With regard, also, to the answer which the right hon. Gentleman gave the other day, in which he distinctly said that a pledge was given to these officers that they were to have 24s. a day, has not that pledge been broken?
§ Mr. McKENNANo, Sir. In regard to the first part of the Noble Lord's question it will be quite true that engineer-commanders will in some cases be receiving 18s., and in other cases 24s., but there 2135 will be difference of seniority in the Service in the two cases. With regard to the second question, at the time that the pledge was given, the engineer-commanders had to serve sixteen years altogether as lieutenants before they became entitled to 24s., and when the change of the rate of promotion was mad those who were promoted more particularly were told that they would not get the higher rate of pay, but would continue at the old rate of 18s. until they had completed their sixteen years.