8. Mr. HALL-CALNEasked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether his attention has been called to the hardship caused to the large number of unestablished men who are compelled to give up employment in the Royal Naval Cordite Factory, Holton Heath, on attaining the age of 60; and whether, in view of the fact that these men are not pensionable and cannot qualify for old age pensions until 65, he will consider making arrangements to provide either for the retention of these men until 65 or for them to qualify for pensions until that age?
The FIRST LORD of the ADMIRALTY (Sir Bolton Eyres Monsell)The regulation for Admiralty industrial establishments is that workpeople are as a rule to be pensioned or discharged on reaching 60 years of age, but they may be retained until 65 if recommended annually for retention and certified to be medically fit. No sufficient reason is seen for introducing a special rule, or alternatively, a special scheme of pensions as proposed, for the employés in the Royal Naval Cordite Factory.