§ Mr. SNOWDENasked the Secretary to the Admiralty whether, with reference to the questions asked by the hon. Member for Blackburn on the 8th December, 1915, he will state the reasons why the clerks in question who resigned their appointments have not had their civil emoluments, etc., restored as from the dates of their resignations instead of from 1st January, 1916; whether one effect of the Admiralty's decision is that if any of these clerks are hereafter established they will lose the benefit of their pensionable service to the dates of their resignation; and, if so, whether it is the considered decision of the Admiralty that such clerks should be penalised relatively for action in itself so commendable on military grounds?
§ Dr. MACNAMARAThe clerks in question, having resigned without obtaining the consent of the head of their Department, were not entitled under the Treasury rules to any civil pay whilst serving, but on review of their cases it was considered reasonable to allow civil pay as from a date at which they would, no doubt, have1540W been released for military service if they had awaited the consent of the head of their Deparment. The Admiralty decision does not carry with it the contingent disadvantages suggested in the second part of the question.