§ 79. Mr. ROBERT YOUNGasked the Secretary to the Admiralty whether, in view of the post-war shortage of engine-room artificers, the Admiralty are prepared to offer better pay, status, and conditions of service to those now serving and to the class generally; and whether he considers such a step as the best means of successfully recruiting men for the engineering department?
§ Dr. MACNAMARAThis is one of the questions dealt with by the Jerram Committee, and the improvements made have been promulgated.
§ 80. Mr. R. YOUNGasked the Secretary to the Admiralty whether the reconstruc- 1445 tion proposals of the Admiralty includes a proposal to largely supplant the engine-room artificer class by the enlargement of the stoker-mechanician scheme; and whether such a proposal would pre-judically affect the Admiralty's present attempts to recruit engineers of the engine-room artificer class for the Navy?
§ Dr. MACNAMARAThe answer to the first part of my hon. Friend's question is in the negative. The second part does not, therefore, arise.