§ Major GLYNasked the First Lord of the Admiralty how many recruiting depots are maintained by the Admiralty; and at what annual cost?
§ The PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARY to the ADMIRALTY (Lieut.-Colonel Headlam)There are seven Headquarter Recruiting Stations and 29 Recruiting Out-stations. The estimated annual cost, including the salaries of the Director of Naval Recruiting and Headquarters Staff, is shown under Vote 1.D. of the Navy Estimates, and amounts to £26,000. In addition, a sum of £3,000 is provided under Vote 11.Q. for advertising purposes.
§ Colonel DAYIs it intended to increase these recruiting depots?
§ Lieut.-Colonel HEADLAMNo, not so far as I am aware.
§ 23. Sir BERTRAM FALLEasked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether, seeing that the naval recruiting service is under the control of the Royal Marines, and that 10 district staff officers, officers, and medical officers, in addition to 55 at Whitehall, are maintained, he will consider whether chief petty officers with the rank of acting warrant- officer could efficiently perform these duties at a saving of public funds?
§ Lieut.-Colonel HEADLAMThe Naval Recruiting Service is under the control of the Board of Admiralty, and is administered by a Royal Marine officer as Director of Naval Recruiting, assisted by an Assistant-Director, seven naval and Royal Marines recruiting staff officers, and seven naval medical officers. It is not considered that chief petty officers with acting warrant rank could carry out the work of recruiting staff officers.
§ 24. Sir B. FALLEasked the First Lord of the Admiralty the cost of maintaining medical officers at naval recruiting centres; and will he consider whether a saving could be effected by arranging for medical officers from naval depots to visit these centres once or twice weekly for the purpose of medically examining candidates for entry into His Majesty's Navy?
§ Lieut.-Colonel HEADLAMThere is a retired naval medical officer in receipt of a salary of £300 per annum at each of the six provincial headquarter recruiting stations. At the London headquarter recruiting station an active service surgeon-commander is employed, and receives the pay of his rank. The travelling expenses, including subsistence, of medical officers travelling from the home ports twice weekly to Newcastle, Birmingham, Liverpool, Bristol, Manchester and Southampton, would be far greater than the salares paid. Moreover, the attendance of a medical officer only twice a week at a headquarter station would not meet requirements, as intending recruits must be examined when putting in an appearance, and this necessitates the attendance of a medical officer the whole of each working day.