§ 42. Mr. Dribergasked the First Lord of the Admiralty if he is aware that Form S 272, revised July, 1943, posted in all ships of the R.N., states that the use of any methods of seeking redress or ventilating a grievance, other than by the usual Service channels, is a breach of discipline; and if he will cause this notice to be reworded so that it does not appear to debar officers and ratings from communicating with their Members of Parliament about Service matters which have been taken up through the usual channels without success.
§ The First Lord of the Admiralty (Mr. A. V. Alexander)As I informed the hon. Member in correspondence, the procedure for securing redress of grievances in the Navy is defined in Article 10 of K.R. & A.I. which is summarised in the form mentioned. I do not consider that it would be desirable to make any specific exception to the rule that complaints should be represented through Service channels, but as I assured the House on the 7th February, in practice no disciplinary action would be taken against officers or ratings for making representations to their Members of Parliament after having attempted, without success, to ventilate a genuine grievance through the usual channels.
§ Mr. DribergSince this notice has been revised once or twice, would it not be possible to revise it slightly further in order to remove the obvious contradiction between the wording of the notice and the First Lord's assurance to this House?
§ Mr. AlexanderThe question of revising an instruction of this kind certainly could not be confined to the Royal Navy, because the same type of instruction applies to all the Forces, and before there was any general revision of that kind we ought to have some proof that the ventilation of grievances through the Service channels is, as a rule, so bad that it is creating a large and widespread grievance in the Services.
§ Mr. Walter EdwardsIs my right hon. Friend aware that there is a large amount of dissatisfaction in the Navy about this proposed ban on communications to Members of Parliament? Will he inform the House exactly what he means by "genuine" complaints having to be made 790 through Service channels, before men are allowed to communicate with their Members of Parliament?
§ Mr. AlexanderI should say that a genuine complaint is a complaint of a real injustice in one form or another, or of lack of welfare provision, which they want to have ventilated, and Which they have not been able to have redressed through the Service channels. But even my hon. Friend, who knows so much about the personnel of the Navy from experience, would not claim that all the Service personnel are angels, or anything near angels.
§ Mr. EdwardsMany of them are.
§ Mr. AlexanderYes, many of them are. But there is no real evidence before me yet of a widespread grievance. If there is any such evidence, I shall be ready to consult with my Service colleagues.
Mr. AstorIs my right hon. Friend aware that many W.R.N.S. receive the impression in their training establishments that to write to a Member of Parliament is a disciplinary offence? Will he make it clear that they have this right, and that they will not be penalised if they exercise it?
§ Mr. AlexanderThe officers of the various commands are perfectly au fait with the regulations.
§ Mr. DribergI beg to give notice that I shall raise the matter on the Adjournment.