§ Sir C. KINLOCH - COOKEasked whether the married men's allowance in the Royal Marines is the same for private, corporal, or sergeant, namely, 6d. per day; and whether he can see his way to meet the views of non-commissioned officers in the Royal Marines, seeing that they are expected to keep up a better establishment than privates, by raising the allowance of sergeants to 9d. and of corporals to 7½d. a day?
§ Dr. MACNAMARAIt is assumed that the allowance referred to by the hon. Member is that payable in lieu of lodgings, fuel, and light, for which a uniform rate of 6d. a day is fixed for the Royal Marine ranks mentioned. I cannot give the undertaking asked for in the last part of the question.
§ Sir C. KINLOCH-COOKECan the right hon. Gentleman give me any reason why he cannot give the undertaking?
§ Dr. MACNAMARAWe think that this allowance is sufficient. The Army rates are uniform for those ranks, and I do not see any reason why we should discriminate between private, corporal, or sergeant.
§ Sir C. KINLOCH - COOKEasked whether a sergeant in the Royal Marines gets 2s. 10d. a day all the time he is a sergeant, whereas a petty officer in the Navy, who ranks with a sergeant in the Royal 1344 Marines, gets 2s. 8d. a day on promotion to his rank, a rise of 2d. a day if he reengages after twelve years' service, and a further rise of 2d. a day for every year he serves as petty officer; and whether the First Lord of the Admiralty will consider the advisability of placing the sergeant in the Royal Marines with regard to progressive pay on the same footing as the petty officer in the Royal Navy?
§ Dr. MACNAMARAThe facts are not precisely as stated. A petty officer receives 2s. 8d. per day on promotion to that rating; 2s. 10d. after three years as a petty officer; 3s. after six years. A sergeant in the Royal Marine Light Infantry receives 2s. 10d. a day without progressive rates. The conditions governing the terms of service, rates of pay, etc., of Marines and naval ratings differ in important particulars; a difference in one only cannot be considered without reference to the whole of the conditions.
§ Sir C. KINLOCH - COOKEasked whether in the Navy there is no maximum pension, whereas in the Royal Marines there is a maximum, that in the Navy a man can make what he earns, whereas a Royal Marine cannot make more than a specified amount, whether he earns it or not; and whether the First Lord of the Admiralty will consider the advisability of removing the maximum in the case of the Royal Marines, so that both branches of the Service may be placed on an equal footing?
§ Dr. MACNAMARAThe facts are substantially as stated. There are many dissimilarities existing in the regulations governing the terms of service, rates of pay, methods of awarding good conduct badges, etc., of Marines and naval ratings, and while these remain no sufficient reason is seen for modifying the pension regulations for the former, which are based upon Army rules both as regards the provision of maximum rates and in other respects.