HC Deb 05 February 1930 vol 234 cc1879-80
28. Sir NICHOLAS GRATTAN-DOYLE

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether he can state the steps which it is proposed to take to meet the decrease in employment occasioned by the further abandonment of naval construction?

Mr. ALEXANDER

Since this question is addressed to me, I assume that it refers to employment in the Royal Dockyards. I would refer the hon. Member to a reply which I gave to the hon. Member for Devonport on the 29th January (OFFICIAL REPORT, columns 975–6), and would ask him also to be content for the present with the assurance that the situation is engaging the attention of the Admiralty, and that so far it has been found possible to give effect to

Captain HALL

Is the Parliamentary Secretary not aware that a man in the reserve fleet working party, although he may have been out of the Service for five years, does not get the 1s. 5d. per day, while a man who has been out of the Service for four years and 11 months gets it? Does the hon. Member not think that that is a sufficient reason for altering the regulation?

Mr. AMMON

I have no knowledge on the point put by my hon. Friend, but there must be a line drawn somewhere, and anomalies are bound to arise.