§ Mr. FALLEasked the First Lord of the Admiralty if he was aware that the pensions of all persons holding established positions in the dockyards were calculated on their completed years of established service from the age of sixteen, time served as apprentices not being reckoned for pension; that there are a number of men in the dockyards who were entered as hired boys and received training qualifying for employment as skilled labourers and mechanics, and that under the regulations these men counted their service for pension from the age of sixteen; and, seeing that the apprentice class, bound to serve 240 six years, lost four years or more pensionable service as compared with the man who entered as hired boy, would he endeavour to remedy this grievance of the apprentices?
§ Mr. McKENNAThe facts are substantially as stated. The matter is receiving consideration, but is is obviously one affecting more than one department.