§ 14. Sir MALCOLM MACNAGHTENasked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether he is aware that it was provided by the King's Regulations, issued in 1923, 430 that the promotion of the engineer officers should be in competition with other executive officers; that such officers should continue on the general list up to the rank of commander, and should be considered specialist officers and as such should not wear a purple string that since these Regulations came into force a number of cadets have volunteered for the engineer branch of the Service; that an Admiralty Fleet Order has recently been issued whereby these provisions of the King's Regulations have in effect been abrogated, and it is provided that the promotion of engineer officers is to be in competition with other engineer officers: that such officers are to be shown on separate seniority lists in the Navy List and are to wear a purple strip; whether the Board of Admiralty recognises that those who volunteered for the engineer branch of the Service on the faith of the King's Regulations suffer injustice by reason of the above provisions of the recent Admiralty Fleet Order; and what steps it is proposed to take to remedy it?
§ The FIRST LORD of the ADMIRALTY (Mr. Bridgeman)Except in the case of officers who volunteered for engineering prior to December, 1918, and who did not accept the new Regulations then introduced, there is no provision in the King's Regulations of 1923 that the promotion of engineer officers should be in competition with executive officers, nor do the King's Regulations deal with the question of uniform. Nothing in the new Admiralty Fleet Order prejudices any cadets who since that date have volunteered for engineering duties, as (E) officers are already, under the Regulations in force since 1919, considered for promotion with other engineer officers and not with executive officers, though they have remained in [he Navy List on the general list of executive officers until reaching the rank of commander. Indeed, promotion on a separate list is, under present conditions, very considerably to then advantage. As regards officers who volunteered prior to 1923, in a very few isolated cases—not more than five in all — the officers retained certain responsibilities as to military command, while the vast majority surrendered their option in this respect. Otherwise, the changes made are limited to the inclusion of officers' names in separate lists in the Navy List and the direction that they 431 shall now wear the same uniform as other officers employed on engineering duties. These are purely matters of practical convenience, arising from the fact—not now questioned, I think, in any quarter —that under present-day conditions the knowledge, duties and capabilities of executive and engineer officers, though of equal importance, are definitely differentiated and cannot be combined as was once thought possible. The changes make no difference whatever to the position and status of the officers under the various Regulations, and their relative rank and precedence, chances of promotion, rates of pay, etc., are in no way prejudiced, and I would earnestly deprecate suggestions that the changes imply inferiority in any shape or form, as such is not the opinion nor intention of the Board of Admiralty.
§ Sir M. MACNAGHTENIf the engineer officers regard the wearing of this purple stripe as derogatory, why should the Board of Admiralty insist on their continuing to do so?
§ Mr. BRIDGEMANIt is to distinguish the two sections. Why they should regard the purple stripe as in any way derogatory, I. cannot understand. I should be very proud, if I had the qualification, to wear it myself.
§ Lieut.-Commander KENWORTHYIs not the fact of the matter that the original attempt to amalgamate these two branches has proved in practice a failure, and is not this new change inevitable?
§ Mr. BRIDGEMANYes. This is only regularising changes that were effected in 1918, when it became clear that the amalgamation was not a success.