§ 12. Sir BERTRAM FALLEasked the Secretary to the Admiralty if he is aware that all engineer-commanders, Royal Navy, should by Order in Council retire at fifty years of age, but that, nevertheless, all such who reach that age during the War are retained in the Service and given acting rank and the lowest rate of pay, and do not receive the 25 per cent. addi- 328 tional (which all who retired before August, 1914, receive), and that the number of this rank is growing and the dissatisfaction is increasing; and if he will have these officers placed on the retired list and, if required, reappointed, and so allow them their fair rate of pay and rank?
§ Dr. MACNAMARAThe facts are substantially as stated in the first part of my hon. and gallant Friend's question. As regards the second part, these officers, under the existing Regulations, if retired and reappointed, would not receive the bonus. This point, however, is under discussion with the Treasury.
§ Sir B. FALLEHas not justice been granted to men on the lower deck, and is it not only fair that it should be granted to these officers?
§ Dr. MACNAMARAI do not think that the concessions to the lower deck is quite a parallel one with this 25 per cent., but, as I have said, the matter is under discussion with the Treasury.