HC Deb 21 July 1937 vol 326 cc2186-7
23. Mr. Ralph Beaumont

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether he has yet come to any decision with regard to the possibility of giving assistance towards the extra travelling expenses which will be incurred by artificer apprentices who are being transferred from the mechanical training establishment at Chatham to His Majesty's ship "Caledonia" at Rosyth and whose homes are in the south of England; and whether he proposes to make any concessions with regard to leave in order to compensate these boys for the loss of week-end leave and other facilities for seeing their relatives which they have enjoyed while at Chatham?

Mr. Cooper

I am not yet in a position to say whether it will be possible to grant any assistance towards the travelling expenses of artificer apprentices who entered the mechanical training establishment at Chatham in August, 1936, and are now being transferred to Rosyth. Apprentices at Rosyth are granted seven weeks' leave in each year, and it is not possible to give any additional leave to those who have begun their training at Chatham.

25. Sir Robert Younǵ

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether the Admiralty is making special arrangements for the enrolment of apprentices in the engineering and cognate trades to join the Royal Navy as apprentice artificers; and what is the qualifying age for such enlistment, the period for which they will join, and the educational qualifications which will be expected of them?

Mr. Cooper

Arrangements are being made for the entry of apprentices who have received not less than 2½ years' apprentice training and are over the age of 18. These artificer apprentices will engage for 12 years' service. The educational qualification will be the same as for those who enter the Navy as artificers.

Mr. Kirkwood

That is not a reply to the question which I put.

Mr. Speaker

We are on another question now.

Mr. Kirkwood

On a point of Order. I want to draw attention to the fact that the reason the Government cannot get recruits for the Army and Navy is because the men are under-paid.

Mr. Speaker

That is not a point of Order.