§ 17. Mr. Malcolm MacMillanasked the First Lord of the Admiralty why, out of the total number of 239 of skippers rank in the Royal Naval Reserve, only four have been appointed from the Western Islands; and whether, in view of the large proportion of men recruited from these islands, he will take steps to remedy this discrepancy?
Mr. CooperThe principal qualification for promotion to skipper R.N.R. is the possession of the Board of Trade certificate of competency as skipper, and the Admiralty cannot modify this requirement, since skippers R.N.R. have to take command of Naval trawlers in time of war. At present all R.N.R. men registered in the Western Isles who possess the necessary qualifications have been promoted.