The following Question stood on the Order Paper in the name of LIEUT.-COMMANDER KENWORTHY:—22. To ask the First Lord of the Admiralty whether the recent Fleet Order against officers on the Reserve or half-pay becoming candidates for Parliament applies also to officers who are peers; and whether these peers will be permitted by the Admiralty to retain their commissions if they sit and vote in another place?
§ Lieut.-Commander KENWORTHYI notice that in this question I have left out some words. It refers to the whole circular and not only to the part mentioned.
§ Mr. BRIDGEMANIn reply to the first part of the question, the Fleet Order deals only with candidature for Parliament, and gives effect, so far as the Navy is concerned, to the provisions of the Servants of the Crown (Parliamentary Candidature) Order in Council of 25th July last. Officers who are peers could not become candidates for Parliament unless they are Irish peers, in which case the Fleet Order applies to them. As regards the second part of the question, no necessity has arisen for any new rule that would prevent officers on the active list who are peers from taking part, to the same extent as hitherto, in the proceedings of the other House. It has long been the tradition that they do not take part in political controversy.
§ Lieut. - Commander KENWORTHYDoes not the right hon. Gentleman see that he is here making a difference between another place and this House and is preventing a commoner from engaging in politics, while permitting a peer to do so?
§ Mr. H. WILLIAMSWill the salaries of these officers be voted in another place or by this House?
§ Lieut. - Commander KENWORTHYMay I have an answer to my question?
§ Mr. SPEAKERIt seems to me there are too many supplementary questions. I would ask hon. Members to think of their colleagues. It is rather unfair to take so much time over the earlier questions on the Paper.
Mr. THOMASMay I ask in fairness to the importance of the question and the supplementary question, whether the 1017 simple issue is not, if a preference is to be given to peers over commoners? That is a simple question, and we are entitled to an answer.
§ Mr. BRIDGEMANAll I said was that what we have done has been to carry out, so far as the Navy is concerned, the Order in Council of 25th July last. The Admiralty is not responsible solely for that Order in Council, but we have had to give effect to it, as it stands, as regards the Navy.
§ Commander BELLAIRSIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that the Order in Council was smuggled through this House just before the holidays, and no one was aware of it? What notice was given to Parliament in regard to this profound change in the constitution of Parliament?
§ Mr. BRIDGEMANI was at Geneva on 25th July last, and therefore I have no knowledge of that. I should like notice of this question, and indeed I think it is not one which should properly be addressed to the Admiralty at all.
Mr. THOMASDoes not the Government's legislation, which interferes with civil servants taking part in politics, justify, in itself, a reconsideration of the whole position?
§ Mr. SPEAKERThis is a general Order in Council, and questions upon it should be addressed to the Prime Minister and not to the First Lord of the Admiralty.
§ 23. Mr. AMMONasked the First Lord of the Admiralty in what respect the restrictions on the political activities of officers and men in the Royal Navy are altered by the Fleet Order issued in August last as compared with those prior to that date; and whether the order applies equally to officers and men on the active list as to those on the half-pay list and to retired officers and officers and men of the Royal Naval Reserve and Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve when called up for service?
§ Mr. BRIDGEMANThe general effect of the Fleet Order is to provide that officers on the active list and men serving on an active service naval engagement 1018 may not become candidates for Parliament until they have been released from their active service obligations. In the case of an officer, this involves retirement or resignation, and in the case of a man, transfer to the Royal Fleet Reserve or acceptance of a free discharge. Previously the position on the active list of an officer or man was not affected unless his candidature was successful, in which case, if an officer he was placed on half-pay, and if a man was given the option already mentioned. The answer to the second part of the question is in the affirmative.
§ Mr. AMMONIs the position of officers and men of the Navy in this respect fixed by Statute Law or simply by order of the Department?
§ Mr. BRIDGEMANI should like notice of that question.
§ Mr. AMMONWill the right hon. Gentleman consider, in that case, whether it is right that this should be done without consultation with Parliament?
§ Mr. BRIDGEMANI have already pointed out that this is not a matter which affects the Admiralty only. I have tried to make clear that what we have done has been in order to try to carry out, as regards the Navy, a general Order-in-Council.
§ Mr. HORE-BELISHAHas any change been made in regard to the right, of officers or men of the Navy to participate in other political activities, not actually standing for Parliament, such as attending meetings during a General Election or voting?
§ Mr. BRIDGEMANI should like to have a definition of "other political activities" before attempting to answer that question.
§ Commander BELLAIRSAs the Order is being applied to half-pay officers, has the opinion of the Law Officers of the Crown been taken as to whether half-pay officers are employed by and under the Crown?
§ Mr. HORE-BELISHAMay I have an answer to my question? I mean by "other political activities" attending public meetings and voting. I do not 1019 want to press the right hon. Gentleman if he is not sure.
§ Mr. BRIDGEMANI am afraid that I cannot give any further information in answer to these questions. If I tried to give further information, I might not be quite accurate, and I should be sorry if that were so.