§ 16. Mr. COCKSasked the First Lord of the Admiralty the number of Dart- 1953 mouth and special entry cadets to be entered in the executive and engineering branches during 1933 and the number of commissions available for lower-deck ratings in these branches under the new scheme of promotion from the lower deck?
The PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARY to the ADMIRALTY (Lord Stanley)It has been announced that 13 executive and six engineering cadetships will be offered at the special entry examination in June. It has also been announced that the total number of special entry executive cadetships in the present year will not be less than 25. The total number of engineering appointments is not yet known. It is too early to state the number of cadets who will be entered through Dartmouth and the number of commissions which will be given to lower-deck ratings in the present year.
§ 17. Mr. COCKSasked the First Lord of the Admiralty why the number of commissions awarded to the seaman branch was reduced from 12 in 1931 to eight in 1932, seeing that 13 candidates were recommended by the fleet selection boards; and why only four of the 20 engine-room ratings, recommended for sub-lieutenant (E), were commissioned?
Lord STANLEYOf the 13 candidates for executive commissions who were recommended by fleet selection boards, only eight were qualified for promotion. The engineering candidates who were recommended by the fleet selection boards had subsequently to take a qualifying examination and to come before an Admiralty Selection Board who further considered their suitability and selected four, having in view Fleet requirements.
§ 18. Mr. COCKSasked the First Lord of the Admiralty the number of commissions awarded under the mate and mate (E) schemes each year between 1913 and 1932, inclusive; the number of cadets entered in the executive and engineering branches under the special entry scheme each year since its introduction; and the numbers of each class promoted to the rank or equivalent rank of commander and the years?
Lord STANLEYAs the reply contains a tabular statement, I will, with my hon. Friend's permission, circulate it in the OFFICIAL REPORT.
§ Following is the answer:
| The numbers of annual promotions to the rank of acting mate and acting mate (E) are as follow: | ||
| Year. | Acting Mate. | Acting Mate (E). |
| 1913 | 44 | — |
| 1914 | 31 | 14 |
| 1915 | 108 | 28 |
| 1916 | 51 | 42 |
| 1917 | 92 | 52 |
| 1918 | 43 | 17 |
| 1919 | Nil | 10 |
| 1920 | 11 | 6 |
| 1921 | 3 | 7 |
| 1922 | 6 | 6 |
| 1923 | 6 | 5 |
| 1924 | 6 | 5 |
| 1925 | 5 | 5 |
| 1926 | 9 | 5 |
| 1927 | 7 | 5 |
| 1928 | 8 | 5 |
| 1929 | 5 | 4 |
| 1930 | 6 | 4 |
| 1931 | 12 | 4 |
| 1932 | 8 | 4 |
§ Up to and including the year 1923, special entry naval cadets were not earmarked for executive or engineering duties. The figures given below for the years 1913 to 1923, inclusive, show the total number of special entry naval cadets entered for either of these duties. The figures for the years 1924 onwards show the numbers entered for executive duties and for engineering duties separately.
| For Executive and Engineering duties. | |
| 1913 | 42 |
| 1914 | 62 |
| 1915 | 63 |
| 1916 | 83 |
| 1917 | 134 |
| 1918 | 158 |
| 1919 | 46 |
| 1920 | 15 |
| 1921 | 16 |
| 1922 | 15 |
| 1923 | 15 |
| Executive duties. | Engineering duties. | |
| 1924 | 15 | 6 |
| 1925 | 28 | 34 |
| 1926 | 28 | 47 |
| 1927 | 30 | 41 |
| 1928 | 18 | 19 |
| 1929 | 14 | 22 |
| 1930 | 11 | 23 |
| 1931 | 12 | 22 |
| 1932 | 16 | 16 |
| 1933 (up to date) | 10 | 5 |
| The following promotions from ex mates and ex mates (E) to commander and engineer commander, respectively, have been made: | ||
| Commander. | Engineer Commander. | |
| Up to 1925 inclusive. | Nil | Nil |
| 1926 | 1 | — |
| 1927 | — | 3 |
| 1928 | 1 | 6 |
| 1929 | 2 | 7 |
| 1930 | 2 | 8 |
| 1931 | 2 | 8 |
| 1932 | 2 | 8 |
| The following promotions to commander and commander (E), respectively, have been made from ex-special entry cadets: | ||
| Commander | Commander. (E). | |
| Up to 1928 inclusive. | Nil | Nil |
| 1929 | — | 3 |
| 1930 | — | 4 |
| 1931 | 4 | 3 |
| 1932 | 8 | 6 |
§ 20. Mr. A. BEVANasked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether he will give the total numbers of seamen and engine-room ratings throughout the Navy who took the higher educational test for commissioned rank, in October last, under the new regulations whereby all five papers have to be taken at one examination; and the numbers who passed?
Captain WALLACETwenty-one seaman ratings and 22 engine-room ratings took the examinations referred to. Five passed in each class.
§ 21. Mr. BEVANasked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether, considering the disappointing results, one first-class certificate in gunnery and one in torpedo 1956 and none at Greenwich College, obtained by the 12 sub-lieutenants (ex-able seamen) who took the mates' courses for lieutenant during 1932, any action is to-be taken on similar lines to the preliminary training of midshipmen to enable future officers promoted from the lower deck to achieve the same standards as sub-lieutenants (ex-cadets)?
Captain WALLACEThe officers referred to were promoted under the old "mate" scheme. All future promotions will be made under the new scheme outlined in the statement by the First Lord on 20th May, 1931. That scheme provides for the officers selected from the lower deck to undergo a preliminary course at Greenwich which is designed to enable them to compete on equal terms with the officers from the cadet entries, with whom they will undergo the usual sub-lieutenants' courses at Greenwich and Portsmouth.