§ 6. Commander Nobleasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty when he expects to make a statement on the pay of the Royal Corps of Naval Constructors.
§ The Civil Lord of the Admiralty (Mr. Walter Edwards)The revised scales of pay of the Royal Corps of Naval Constructors, fixed on the basis described by my right hon. Friend the late Parliamentary Secretary on 19th October, 1949, were promulgated to all concerned in February, 1950. Since then the Government have decided to put into operation the recommendations of the Chorley Committee on the level of Civil Service salaries, and the scales of salary in the higher reaches of the Corps are subject to adjustment for this.
§ Commander NobleCould the Civil Lord tell us anything about the entry of these officers now? He told my hon. and gallant Friend the Member for Merton and Morden (Captain Ryder), on 26th July that there had been two resignations and no entries so far this year. If we are to have the new construction we must have the best officers.
§ Mr. EdwardsI am afraid the hon. and gallant Gentleman will have to put that question down. All he has asked about is the pay.
§ Commander MaitlandWill the hon. Gentleman also give consideration to the question of officers of the Chief Inspector of Ordnance, who are in very much the same boat; and will the Admiralty give consideration to bringing their pay into line with modern ideas?
§ Mr. EdwardsThat point will be noted.
Commander GalbraithCan the hon. Gentleman say by what percentage the pay of officers of the Corps has been increased since the end of the war?
§ Mr. EdwardsThat has already been stated to the House.