§ 1. Mr. Boyd-Carpenterasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty what facilities are available for voluntary training for officers and other ranks of the Royal Naval Reserve; and to how many applicants training facilities have been refused since the beginning of this year.
§ The Parliamentary and Financial Secretary to the Admiralty (Mr. John Dugdale)Voluntary training for a period of 14 days was reintroduced in 1948 for Royal Naval Reserve officers except those Senior Executive Officers who underwent the War or Technical Courses. In the current year it has been necessary to limit this voluntary training to those officers who were unable to take advantage of the opportunities offered last year, and for this reason, applications from 20 officers who completed voluntary training in 1948 have 1234 had to be refused. The matter will, however, be reviewed later in the year. Voluntary training for Royal Naval Reserve ratings has always been limited to voluntary service in the Fleet during annual manoeuvres. There have been no opportunities for such training so far this year.
§ Mr. Boyd-CarpenterIs the hon. Gentleman aware that in at least one of the 20 cases to which he has referred and to which I invited his attention great discouragement has been caused that an officer who has volunteered to do his service has been told that he is not permitted to do so? In view of the fact that only 20 are involved and in view of the present total of the Navy Estimates, is not the financial objection which the hon. Gentleman has given really quite ludicrous?
§ Mr. DugdaleI will certainly look into the matter. I do not want these officers to be discouraged, but we must primarily give consideration to the compulsory training of those who have not had experience. All these officers have, of course, had experience, but I will look into the matter.
§ Lieut.-Commander Gurney BraithwaiteDoes this mean that ratings are unlikely to have any opportunity at all during 1949?
§ Mr. DugdaleThe voluntary training for ratings, as opposed to compulsory training, is, as the hon. and gallant Gentleman no doubt knows, training in ships at sea. It is possible that this may be given, but an opportunity has not arisen so far this year.
§ Sir Ronald RossHow would an opportunity for these officers to have further training interfere with the training of the other officers who, the hon. Gentleman has told us, need training to a greater degree and have had less of it than the officers who are to be further trained?
§ Mr. DugdaleObviously such training resources as we have should, as I said, first be devoted to the other kind of training and afterwards training will be given to officers of the kind mentioned here. The primary consideration will be to give training to those who are most in need of it.