§ Mr. CHARLES DUNCANasked the First Lord of the Admiralty how many men (naval ratings) during the past five years have had their pay entirely stopped after being in a naval hospital for ninety-one days; how much per diem is stopped before that time (ninety-one days); how many of these men have subsequently died or been invalided; and what has been the average pension awarded to those so invalided?
§ Dr. MACNAMARAHospital stoppages are charged after thirty days' treatment in hospital at home in accordance with the following scale:—
- 10d. a day, should the pay of the rating be not less than 1s. 7d. a day:
- 8d. a day, should the pay of the rating be less than 1s. 7d. a day;
- 4d. a day for boys.
No record is kept of the particular cases referred to in the question, and the information desired in regard to them could not be supplied without the expenditure of very considerable time and labour. I may add that there is no deduction for men in the Fleet in hospital as a result of wounds or injuries received in the performance of their duties. There is no deduction if they are sick on board and not treated in hospital. There is no deduction under any circumstances if serving abroad. Men treated at home by an Admiralty surgeon and agent are treated as though in hospital in the matter of deductions.
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§ Mr. CHARLES DUNCANasked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether, in view of the National Insurance Act coming into force, he will now reconsider the question of deductions from the pay and allowances of naval ratings when in hospital, and also abolish the present practice of entirely stopping a man's pay and his allotments to his wife and children after being ninety-one days in hospital?
§ Dr. MACNAMARAThe National Insurance Act provides naval ratings with benefits fully equivalent in value to the contributions paid by and on behalf of them. I do not, therefore, quite see how the passage of this Act affects the question of hospital stoppages raised by my hon. Friend.