§ 28. Major HORE-BELISHAasked the Civil Lord of the Admiralty, with reference to the cast of the acting subordinate officers of the C.M.'s and E.M.'s Department of His Majesty's dockyard, Devonport, who have been carrying out the duties of acting inspectors of trades and also in higher ranks for a considerable period and particularly during the War, are threatened with supersession and reversion to a, lower rank, although they all qualified with a good percentage of marks at the 1908 and/or 1912 examinations and would in the ordinary course have been confirmed in their ranks after five years' acting time; whether he is aware that these men were compelled to compete again in the 1023 examinations with all entrants above 25 years of age (approximately 700 in one trade alone), and to ensure the retention of their appointments they had to attain the topmost position on the new lists; and whether he will see that none of these acting inspectors are reverted until the whole question has been further considered?
§ Mr. HODGESIt is not the case that all acting inspectors who had qualified at an examination and who had held their acting ranks for a period of five years would in the ordinary course have been confirmed in their ranks. Confirmation after five years' continuous acting service is, in fact, granted only in those cases where subordinate professional officers have acted in lieu of confirmed officers of the rank detached from the dockyards on overseeing duties. As regards the last part of the question, it is not contemplated that officers acting in lieu of confirmed officers on overseeing duties shall be reverted or superseded. Certain officers, holding acting appointments were reverted, however, upon the application of post-War complements when the posts were filled by confirmed officers.
§ Major HORE-BELISHAWill the hon. Gentleman undertake to revise this system of submitting men who have done long and consistent service to new examinations, at a time when they are getting on in years, and thus depriving them of their jobs?
§ Mr. HODGESAll these questions are considered very carefully by the organisations concerned, and, as far as I am able to gather, this form of treatment is quite in harmony with the wishes of the parties generally.