HC Deb 04 June 1931 vol 253 c355
57. Sir BERTRAM FALLE

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty why under the new scheme of promotion to commissioned rank for lower-deck ratings sub lieutenants so promoted on being con firmed and sent to big ships will be messed in the ward-room mess and not the gun-room mess in the same way as Dartmouth College entries?

The FIRST LORD of the ADMIRALTY (Mr. A. V. Alexander)

The Board decided, after carefully considering the merits of these alternatives, that it would be in the best interest of sub-lieutenants promoted from the lower deck that they should enter the ward-room at once rather than the gun-room.

Sir B. FALLE

Will the right hon. Gentleman give any reason? He has only given an excuse.

Mr. ALEXANDER

The reason is, as I have said, that it is in the best interests of these sub-lieutenants. In the future the men promoted from the lower deck will take the rank of sub-lieutenant and will already have spent two terms at Greenwich on the same basis as Dartmouth entry sub-lieutenants; and it-seems unreasonable to send them back to the gun-room with midshipmen, who are much younger.