§ 13 Mr. T. LEWISasked the First Lord of the Admiralty (1) whether he will state the reasons why acting mates promoted from able seamen spend three months only at Greenwich College, though it is considered necessary for sub-lieutenants who have spent three years and eight months at Dartmouth College to remain for six months;
(2) what practical difficulties exist to prevent acting mates spending a second term at Greenwich College to undergo the much more general course for sub-lieutenants (vide OFFICIAL REPORT, column 1889) after the existing more directly professional course;
(3) whether, in view of the recently increased syllabus for acting mates, he will consider allowing them to remain at Greenwich College for a second term and to receive instruction in French as do sub-lieutenants?
Mr. ALEXANDERThe question of giving additional education to acting mates at Greenwich was carefully considered in 1923, but the advantages obtained by increasing the period spent on theoretical instruction were not considered to outweigh the disadvantages entailed by the consequent loss of sea training in an officer's duties. As my 1121 hon. Friend has drawn my attention to the matter I am taking the opportunity of looking into it afresh.