§ Captain BULLOCKasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty if he is aware that immediately after the outbreak of the great War a certain number of pensioned marine non-commissioned officers were lent by the Admiralty to the War Office for the purpose of assisting in the training of recruits in the new armies; whether any of these marine instructors received commissions from the War Office; if on demobilisation these officers were reverted to their pre-War non-commissioned status for pension although permitted to retain the titles of their commissioned rank; whether the Lords of the Admiralty concur in the discrimination which has been made in the rates of pensions awarded to ranker officers serving in the marines and those on loan to the Army during the War; if the matter has been represented to the Treasury; and, if so, whether the whole of the correspondence may be placed upon the Table of this House?
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§ Mr. AMMONThe answer to the first two parts of the question is in the affirmative. Arrangements have now been made for these officers to receive retired pay on the same basis as if they had been granted commissions in the Royal Marines and the remaining parts of the question do not, therefore, arise.
§ Captain BULLOCKasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty (1) if he will give the number of pre-War naval warrant officers, petty officers, and other lower deck ratings who returned for service during the great War and retired with the status and retired pay of officers, the rates varying between £250 and £300 a year, according to length of commissioned service, and the number of naval warrant officers and lower deck ratings who, having sufficient service to entitle them to non-commissioned pension, were promoted to naval commissioned rank and, on demobilisation, received retired pay at rates varying from £250 to £300;
(2) if he will give the number of pre-War pensioned marine warrant officers and other ranks who returned for service under the Admiralty during the great War and retired with the status and retired pay of officers, the rates varying between £250 and £300 a year, according to the length of commissioned service; and the number of warrant officers and other ranks in the Royal Marines who received commissions during the War after they had become entitled to noncommissioned pensions, but were subsequently demobilised with the status and retired pay of their commissioned rank, the rates varying between £250 and £300?
§ Mr. AMMONI presume, the hon. and gallant Member desires to know the total number of pensioners and also the total number of active service ranks and ratings of the Royal Navy and the Royal Marines, respectively, who were granted temporary commissions in the Naval Service during the War and were granted retired pay on the scale of £250 to £300 per annum on demobilisation. The numbers are as follow:
Royal Marine warrant officers and other ranks:
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Pre-War pensioners … 82 Others … 32 Total … 114 Royal Naval warrant officers and lower deck ratings:
The aggregate of these figures is 141, and it represents the total number of awards of retired pay on the scale which have been made to Naval and Marine pensioners and others who received temporary commissions during the War in the Naval Service.
Pre-War pensioners … 18 Others … 9 Total … 27