§ MR. ASHLEYasked how long the system of two-year commissions for His Majesty's ships has been in force; whether, in the opinion of the Board of Admiralty, it has proved beneficial to the efficiency of the Service; and, if not, whether it is proposed to revert to the three-year system?
§ Mr. CHURCHILLThe system of two-year commissions has been in force for seven years. It has been beneficial in the sense that it gave an increase in efficiency over the pre-existing system. I am not prepared at the moment to say whether some more efficient system can be found, but it would in no case be a mere reversion to the system in force prior to 1905.