§ Sir J. AGG-GARDNERasked the Secretary to the Admiralty whether a prospective candidate for a constituency may address meetings in that constituency while wearing naval uniform and holding a commission in the Royal Naval Reserve?
§ Dr. MACNAMARAA member of the Naval Service who is a selected candidate for Parliament may, if an election be pend- 2341W ing, at the discretion of his commanding officer be allowed leave to contest the election subject to the exigencies of the Service, and on application to the Admiralty for permission may be allowed to address meetings in uniform. If no election be pending, but he is a prospective candidate, he should apply to the Admiralty for permission to address public meetings, but if permitted to do so he would not be allowed to address meetings in uniform. This is implied in the following Fleet Order dealing with cases in which an election is imminent:
A member of the Naval Service who desires to address public meetings in any Parliamentary constituency, for which he is an officially adopted candidate at a time when an election is imminent should apply to the Admiralty for permission to do so, and in the event of such permission being granted, he will be at liberty to wear uniform while addressing such meetings.Arrangements of a somewhat similar nature have been, I believe, adopted by the War Office.