§ 8. Sir C. KINLOCH-COOKEasked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether the cost of the extra payments made to shipwrights and carpenters' crew, in virtue of the statement recently laid before Parliament showing the present and new rates of pay for the Royal Navy and Royal Marines, should be £24,000 and not £2,400 as therein stated; and, if so, will he take immediate steps to make the matter clear to the ratings in question so that the present misunderstanding may be cleared up without delay?
§ Dr. MACNAMARAThe answer to the first part of the question is in the affirmative; by a printer's error the figure was shown as £2,400 instead of £24,000. The correct figure was, of course, included in the grand total. The correction has already been notified to the Fleet, and full instructions have been issued showing how the new rates will affect men no serving.
§ Sir C. KINLOCH-COOKEIs the right hon. Gentleman aware this is the second great error which has occurred in the White Papers which have been issued by the Admiralty in the last six weeks?
§ Dr. MACNAMARANo, I am not aware of that, and I will thank the hon. Member to call my attention to any grave errors.