HC Deb 23 February 1938 vol 332 c333
8. Mr. Parker

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty the estimated cost of Dartmouth College this year; the number of cadets under training; the number of staff; the number of cadets whose parents are paying the full fees; the amount of the full fees; the numbers entered under the various rates of reduced fees and the amounts of the reduced fees; the number of vacancies offered for Dartmouth cadets at the last entry; and the number of applicants and of those rejected for medical, educational and other reasons, respectively?

The First Lord of the Admiralty (Mr. Duff Cooper)

The estimated cost to Navy Votes of the Royal Naval College, Dartmouth, in the current financial year, is £112,940. The number of cadets at present under training is 482, and of the staff, 326. I will send to the hon. Member separately the information for which he asks with regard to the fees paid. For the last entry into the college 45 vacancies were offered. Applicants totalled 115, of whom 70 were selected by the Interview Committee to sit for the examination, but of this number nine were found medically unfit, so that 61 took the examination. Of the 45 not selected for the examination, six were medically unfit.

Mr. T. Williams

Can the right hon. Gentleman say exactly how many of those who were accepted were drawn from public and secondary schools?

Mr. Cooper

Not without notice.

Lieut.-Commander Fletcher

When were commanding officers in the Navy last asked to report their views on the relative merits of the Dartmouth and public school systems of entry?