§ 83. Mr. HOHLERasked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether the employment on His Majesty's ship "Queen Mary" and His Majesty's ship "Vanguard" of chief and petty officers as ships' police in the place of a master-of-arms and ships' corporals is to be taken as indicating a change of policy by the Admiralty in the policing of His Majesty's ships; and whether it is contemplated to abolish or modify the system under which His Majesty's ships have hitherto been policed?
Mr. LAMBERTSuch employment is being tried in a few ships, but pending wider experience of the system no statement as to change of policy can be made.
§ 85. Mr. HOHLERasked the Secretary to the Admiralty whether he is aware that there is a shortage of police ratings; will he state whether the Admiralty are endeavouring to obtain recruits for that rating; and will he consider the improvement of the pay and prospects of ships' police in order to obtain recruits?
Mr. LAMBERTThe numbers are very slightly below requirements. Transfers to the ships' police are still being made in accordance with the Regulations. It is not proposed to modify their pay.
§ Mr. HOHLERThe right hon. Gentleman has not answered that part of the question as to whether the Admiralty were endeavouring to obtain recruits?
§ Mr. HOHLERThe question is: Are the Admiralty endeavouring to obtain recruits?