§ 36. Mr. BARNESasked the grounds on which promotion is refused to warrant engineers, Royal Naval Reserve, in view of the number of commissions now being given to engineers who are not in the Reserve; and whether these warrant engineers may apply for temporary commissions in the Navy or merchant service?
§ Dr. MACNAMARAThe rank of warrant engineer was created in 1903 for the purpose of providing a permanent reserve of warrant officers for the Engineer branch of the Royal Navy. In this capacity they are a valuable reserve as they supply the want most felt in the engineering department when a sudden expansion of the Fleet becomes necessary. Temporary commissions in the Royal Naval Reserve have, as a rule, only been granted to engineers taken up with their vessels for service in the Fleet, and these officers do not serve in regular ships of war. These appointments are in no way permanent and terminate when the ship in which the officers are serving pays off.