§ Sir CLEMENT KINLOCH-COOKEasked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether he is aware that the maximum pay of gunnery ratings is 5s. 9d. per day, torpedo ratings 5s. 9d. per day, and signal ratings 4s. 11d. per day; that considerable extra responsibility has been placed on the senior signal ratings in the matter of wireless telegraphy since the new scale of pay was formulated; and whether he can see his way to give some extra payment to the senior signal ratings so as to place the men on an equality in respect of payment with gunnery and torpedo ratings?
Mr. LAMBERTThe statement of the maximum pay obtainable by gunnery ratings, torpedo ratings, and signal ratings, respectively, is correct. The scale of pay of the signal branch, as compared with that of seaman ratings generally, has recently been under review, and it has been decided that an increase in the pay of the former is not warranted by present conditions.