§ 20. Mr. HORE-BELISHAasked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether he will explain the method and the procedure followed whereby boys are entered into employment at His Majesty's Dockyard, Devonport?
Mr. DAVIDSONBoys are entered in His Majesty's Dockyard, Devonport, as apprentices, storehouse boys or yard boys. In accordance with the Dockyard Regulations, apprentices and storehouse boys are entered by competitive examination, yard boys by nomination. Registers of boys who are candidates for entry in the Dockyard are kept by the local officers, who are responsible that due care and strict justice are observed in granting entries. Preference is given to the sons of men who have lost their lives, or who may have been permanently disabled, or who have served meritoriously in the service of the Crown.
§ Mr. HORE-BELISHASeeing that such a high standard of selection is made, could the Admiralty see its way to give some guarantee to these boys that they would not be dismissed from employment after having undergone such a strict test?