§ 19. Sir R. HUTCHISONasked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether he has considered the advisability of offering the full pension to those officers who are prepared to retire immediately they are out of the promotion zone?
§ Mr. AMMONThe offer of terms of retirement which are more favourable than those under the ordinary regulations can only be made in exceptional circumstances, when a special scheme of retirement is necessary. No such scheme is contemplated at present.
§ Sir R. HUTCHISONDoes my hon. Friend not realise that it is very bad for the Service to continue these officers in service when they have no hope of promotion? Would it not be a good thing if those officers who wish to retire could be allowed to retire on pension, and thus have an opportunity of taking up other occupations before they are too old?
§ Sir R. HUTCHISONDoes the hon. Gentleman realise that these officers have been told that they have no hope of promotion—that there are too many on the list; and that it would be far better, from the point of the view of the Service and from the point of view of the officers themselves, if they were allowed to retire on pension rather than be kept on for another five years?