§ 44. Mr. Medlandasked the First Lord of the Admiralty the number of naval officers employed in His Majesty's dockyards on civilian work and supervising dockyard workmen; the annual cost of these officers; the number of employees employed in all dockyards in clerical and non-productive work; the number of clerical and supervisory grades in 1936; and the number of clergy employed in His Majesty's dockyards and their cost per year.
The Financial Secretary to the Admiralty (Mr. John Dugģdale)As the reply contains a number of figures, I will circulate it in the OFFICIAL REPORT.
§ Following is the Reply:
§ There are 71 naval officers employed on supervisory duties and the cost is approximately £72,000 a year. According to the latest information, 2,879 employees were engaged on clerical and 4,091 on nonproductive work in the dockyards. The number of clerical grades employed in 1936 was 1,208, the corresponding figure-for supervisory grades being 746. The number of clergy who include the dockyard staff in their ministration is six and the estimated cost of this service is £4,240 per year. All the figures quoted in this answer are in respect of the home dockyards only.
§ 69. Mr. Medlandasked the First Lord of the Admiralty if he is aware that it is impossible for civilians employed in the engineering departments to rise above the rank of senior foreman, all higher ranks being held by naval officers; and will he take steps to democratise this branch, so 367 that apprentices to engineering in the dockyards have the same opportunities as those in the shipbuilding and electrical branches.
Mr. DugģdaleIt is not, in fact, impossible for civilians employed in the engineering departments of the dockyard to rise above the rank of senior foreman. Certain higher posts are already available to them at the Admiralty, namely, those of examiner of dockyard work and engineer assistant, and the possibility of providing further avenues of promotion is receiving consideration in connection with postwar organisation plans.
§ Mr. MedlandIs my hon. Friend aware that he has been misinformed in this information, and that it is quite impossible for a dockyard apprentice to become an engineering officer at the docks? Will he look into the matter further?
Mr. DugģdaleI cannot admit that I have been misinformed. In any case, I have said that the matter is receiving consideration in connection with postwar organisation.