§ 29. Sir B. FALLEasked the Secretary to the Admiralty when those engineer-captains, eight in number, who reached the retirement age between December, 1913, and May, 1914, but continued to serve on to the outbreak of War, and then served through the whole period of the War, will receive the 25 per cent. bonus due to them; and if this bonus was promised to officers who volunteered their service?
§ Sir J. CRAIGI have not been able to identify all the officers referred to by the hon. and gallant Member, but I have no doubt that he is referring to the case of certain engineer-captains, who, with a number of officers of other ranks of the Royal Navy, were retired before the outbreak of War, but continued voluntarily to serve after retirement in billets which they retained during the War period. The regulations for the payment of officers who are voluntarily retained in peace time permit of the payment of a bonus of 15 per cent. of full pay as compensation for not counting service after the date of retirement towards an increase of retired pay. The regulations for officers called out by Royal Proclamation in time of War, permit of a bonus for the same purpose of 25 per cent. The officers in question, not having been called out by Royal Proclamation, fall within the former category, and no promise has been given to such officers that they should receive the higher rate of bonus during the War service.
§ Sir B. FALLEDoes the hon. Gentleman repudiate the Admiralty form sent out to commissioned officers that if they volunteered their services they would receive the bonus of 25 per cent.?
§ Sir J. CRAIGI do not think that is quite correct, because the form that was sent out was subsequent to these particular officers having accepted work at the 15 per cent. basis.
§ Viscount CURZONIs not the effect of the hon. Gentleman's answer to differentiate rather severely against certain officers who continued to serve, as against those who were merely called up?
§ Sir J. CRAIGThe matter has been very carefully considered and these particular officers were in employment before the War on certain terms. Subsequently the terms were changed.