§ 4 and 6. Colonel LESLIE WILSONasked the First Lord of the Admiralty (1) whether those non-commissioned officers of the Royal Marines called up to serve during hostilities and those who have completed twenty-one years' service since the 4th August, 1914, who already have earned the maximum pension allowed under paragraph 1,198 of the King's Regulations and Admiralty Instructions, will, by reason of their additional service, be permitted to exceed the maximum pension of their rank; and, if so, to what extent; and (2) whether those non-commissioned officers of the Royal Marines called up to serve during hostilities and those who have completed twenty-one years' service since the 4th August, 1914, who already have earned the maximum pension allowed under paragraph 1,948 of the King's Regulations and Admiralty Instructions, will, by reason of their additional service, be permitted to exceed the maximum pension of their rank; and, if so, to what extent?
§ Dr. MACNAMARAI had hoped to be in a position to give my hon. and gallant Friend a final answer one way or the other to his question. I am not quite in that position. But we hope in a day or two to announce an Amendment of our Regulations which will give increases for each year of service beyond twenty-one—on the same principle as Article 1,155 of the Army Pay Warrant—to the Marine non-commissioned officers who complete time during the War, are not discharged to pension, and whose service is extended without 1261 receipt of pension. The additions to pension for extended service will not be given to those non-commissioned officers, Royal Marines, who, having been already discharged to pension, are recalled to Service for the period of hostilities.
§ Colonel WILSONWould the right hon. Gentleman tell me if it is not the fact that there is no maximum pension laid down for petty officers of the Navy, and, if that is so, why is not equality of treatment meted out to the non-commissioned officers of the Royal Marines, who serve alongside them and are equally under the administration of the Navy for the purposes of pay?
§ Dr. MACNAMARAI think the hon. Gentleman is right in his first statement. As regards the second, I have already said we hope to be in a position in a day or two to announce additions for extended service when the non-commissioned officer has completed the service for which he would otherwise be pensioned.
§ Colonel WILSONCan the right hon. Gentleman tell me why non-commissioned officers of the Royal Marines should not be put on an equality with the petty officers of the Navy?
§ Dr. MACNAMARAI cannot carry the matter beyond the answer I have given.