§ 14. Sir THOMAS BRAMSDONasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty what are the orders which authorise a lower physical standard, other than vision, for the entry of men into the writer branch of the Royal Navy; and whether the Admiralty will effect any improvements in the ventilation and lighting of the offices ashore and afloat in view of the high percentage of consumption cases in the Royal Naval writer branch, observing that, although the duties of naval writers demand a sedentary indoor type of life, this is by no means peculiar to the writer branch, and that the high percentage of invalids cannot be altogether attributable to a reduced physical standard during the War period, because the same reduced standard was also applied to many other branches?
§ Mr. AMERYAs regards the first part of the question, the Regulations authorising a lower physical standard for writers in other respects than vision were introduced in 1911. As regards the other 2212 parts of the question, I have nothing to add to my reply of 20th March, except that the desirability of raising the physical standard of writers on entry is being considered.