HC Deb 07 May 1920 vol 128 cc2391-2W
Sir J. D. REES

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty whether he is aware that applications from permanent members of the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve for the long-service medal have been refused on the ground that the period of time between the date of their demobilisation and the date of taking their discharge does not count as service; that temporary members of the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve, who were enrolled for war service only and have been demobilised, are still held to belong to the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve, and that their time counts towards the long-service medal until their enrolment forms have been cancelled; whether he will take steps to remove this distinction and place permanent members of the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve on the same footing as temporary members in this matter; whether a man is a member of a volunteer force from the time he enrols until the time that his enrolment is cancelled, apart from mobilisation or demobilisation for the War; and whether such period of service makes a volunteer eligible to receive the long-service medal provided his effi-

— Numbers employed on 1–18–14. Numbers employed on 1–4–20. Numbers discharged since Armistice up to 24–4–20.
Men. Women. Men. Women. Men. Women.
Portsmouth 15,669 50 19,259 223 5,113 1,662
Devonport 13,933 197 15,138 203 5,540 1,205
Chatman 10,980 161 12,183 204 4,281 1,121
Sheerness 3,196 19 3,319 39 850 552
Pembroke 2,600 3,111 1,187 227
Total 46,378 427 53,010 669 16,971 4,767
Grand Total of Workpeople 46,805 53,679 21,738

ciency and number of years' service fulfil the requirements of the Regulations?

Sir J. CRAIG

With regard to the first part of the question, all "efficient" service in the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve, down to the date of final discharge, counts for the award of the long-service medal. It has been decided that, pending the decision as to the future of the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve, pre-war members of that force, whose engagements have expired in the normal course, may, if they desire, continue to serve under their existing engagements. They may, therefore, if qualified under the Regulations, make application for the long-service medal. With regard to the second part of the question, members of the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve who joined that force for the period of hostilities only are finally discharged as from the date of demobilisation. The third part of the question, therefore, does not arise. The answer to the fourth and fifth parts is in the affirmative.