§ Lord CHARLES BERESFORDasked the First Lord of the Admiralty, with reference to the official intimation that a considerable number of the following artisan ratings, namely, armourer's mate, armourer's crew, painter, second-class plumber's mate, and leading carpenter's crew, etc., have been disrated through misreading of the orders given in the Admiralty letter of 23rd June, 1910, whether he is aware that deductions from pay at the rate of 10s. a month press very hard upon the men; and whether, in the circumstances, the Admiralty can see their way to allowing the men to refund the overpayments at the rate of 2s., instead of 10s., a month?
§ The FIRST LORD of the ADMIRALTY (Mr. McKenna)As the lowest rate of pay of the ratings affected is 70s. a month, recovery at the rate of 10s. a month is in accordance with precedent, but I am considering whether in any individual case it may cause hardship.