§ Mr. STRAUSSasked the First Lord of the Admiralty what is the annual cost to the State of the increase in naval officers' pay?
§ Dr. MACNAMARAIf my hon. Friend will refer to Command Paper 270, page 9, he will find that the increases in pay of naval officers therein announced, based on the number of permanent officers in the Navy on the 1st April, 1919, will cost annually £1,250,000; and that the annual cost of the improvements made during the War, including thead interim increase of 1st February, based on the number of permanent officers in the Navy on the 1st April, is £1,263,000. It will be observed that the additional immediate cost of the increases of pay for the demobilisable officers in the Navy on the 1st May, and for antedating the new scales for all concerned to 1st February, is £698,000. This, however, is a non-recurring charge. My hon. Friend will realise that the above figures relate to increases of full pay only.
§ Mr. STRAUSSasked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether he is aware that, under the new arrangement, the pay of submarine officers with less than six years' seniority as lieutenant, is considerably reduced, the command allowance (pay and bonus) being reduced; from 4s. 9d. per day to 3s., the submarine allowance for lieutenants from 6s. to 4s., and the sub-lieu- 42W tenants (pay and bonus) from 4s. to 2s.; and whether he is aware that these changes are causing great discontent in the Navy?
§ Dr. MACNAMARAThe comparison is as follows:
— Old Rates. New Rates. a day. a day. Lieutenant under four years' seniority— s. d. s. d. Full pay 12 0 17 0 Bonus 4 6 — Command money 4 9 3 0 Submarine allowance 6 0 4 0 27 3 24 0 Lieutenant, four to six years' seniority— Full pay 13 6 20 0 Bonus 4 6 — Command money 4 9 3 0 Submarine allowance 6 0 4 0 28 9 27 0 Lieutenant of six years' seniority— Full pay 13 6 24 0 Bonus 4 6 — Command money 4 9 3 0 Submarine allowance 6 0 4 0 28 9 31 0 A lieutenant-commander in command of a submarine benefits from the new scale by a sum ranging from 5s. 3d. to 7s 3d a day, according to seniority. The submarine allowance for sub-lieutenants has been reduced from 4s. to 2s. a day as stated. I would remind my hon. Friend that the new scales of pay and allowances must be viewed as a whole, and that one period of service during which the future emoluments of an officer may be less than heretofore should not be dealt with without taking into consideration the benefits accruing during the remainder of his service. Further, I would draw attention to the Regulation laid down in the White Paper, No. 40, which prevents any immediate reduction in the total emoluments of which an officer may at present be in receipt.