§ Viscount DUNCANNONasked the Secretary to the Admiralty whether it is proposed to make any definite grant of leave to either the officers or men of the-Regular Navy as a special reward on the conclusion of hostilities?
§ Dr. MACNAMARAAs regards officers, I would remind my Noble Friend that under new rules issued in December last, the amount of foreign service leave granted has been doubled, and officers on home service, who previously were 895W granted forty-two days' leave per annum, provided this amount could be taken before the appointment lapsed, are now allowed to take any balance due to them for the current leave year after the expiration of the appointment. Certain additional leave was also granted at the end of 1918 where this could conveniently be arranged. As regards men, a grant of four weeks' leave has been or is being made to all men of the Regular Navy according as the exigencies of the Service permit, and in any case before they proceed on foreign service. In addition to this twenty-eight days, I should add that men going foreign get normally seven days' drafting leave.