§ 59. Mr. JOYNSON-HICKSasked the First Lord of the Admiralty the number of commissions as assistant paymaster, Royal Naval Reserve, temporary and permanent, conferred since the outbreak of hostilities on civilians without examination and with no previous naval experience, the number of naval writer ranks and ratings promoted to commissioned rank, the number of warrant writers promoted to commissioned warrant rank, and the number of chief writers promoted to warrant rank during the same period?
§ The PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARY to the BOARD of ADMIRALTY (Dr. Macnamara)The numbers are as follows:
| Temporary commissions as assistant paymaster, Royal Naval Reserve | 509 |
| Permanent commissions as assistant paymaster, Royal Naval Reserve | 68 |
| Temporary commissions as assistant paymaster, Royal Naval Reserve (for service in Auxiliaries) | 241 |
§ The officers in the third category are not entered for general service but are signed on under an agreement which may be terminated at any time. Candidates are interviewed before entry. Those entered for general service, that is to say the first of the two classes mentioned, are drawn from bank clerks, chartered accountants, actuaries, and gentlemen in business houses, who have considerable previous experience in accountant work. Before being drafted to the fleet they are given a ten to fourteen days' course of instruction in cash, ledger and victualling work. No naval writer ranks and ratings have been promoted to commissioned rank, there being no commissioned rank in existence for the writer branch.
| Warrant writers promoted to commissioned warrant rank | 3 |
| Chief writers promoted to warrant writer | 23 |
§ 60. Mr. JOYNSON-HICKSasked the First Lord of the Admiralty the number of chief writers recommended for promotion at the beginning of the War, and the number now recommended; whether, in view of the increase and the long service and standard of character and efficiency essential to obtain such recommendation, the Board of Admiralty will favourably consider the desirability of filling a proportion of future requirements for accountant officers during hostilities from the writers; and whether preference will be given to writer ranks and ratings at the end of the War if an increase in the number of accountant officers is then found necessary?
§ Dr. MACNAMARAAs regards the first part of the question, the figures are 214 and 234 respectively; as regards the second part of the question, twelve chief writers were promoted to warrant rank at the end of 1914, and eleven in 1915. The question of making further promotions is now under consideration with reference to the requirements of the Service. The claims of writer ranks and ratings to be considered in connection with the whole question of the officers of the accountant branch will not be lost sight of.