20. Dr. DAVIESasked the First Lord of the Admiralty if he is aware that in 1927, out of a total of 20 men invalided for rheumatic fever, 17 had served for less than two years and that out of a total of 79 men invalided for organic heart disease 40 had served for less than two years; and can he offer any explanation for this high incidence of rheumatic diseases?
Mr. ALEXANDERThe answer to the first part of the question is in the affirmative. It is not considered that the incidence of rheumatic diseases is unduly high when consideration is given to the early age at which recruits are received into the Navy.