§ Sir B. FALLEasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty whether he is aware that a senior petty officer of the officers' stewards branch is serving in His Majesty's Ship "Curacoa" with Maltese officers' stewards who are senior to him and consequently in charge of him; whether the employment of Maltese officers' stewards and cooks is authorised for ships in home waters; whether It is the Admiralty's intention that English petty officers should serve with Maltese ratings and in a subordinate position; and whether the Port Division numbers of active service ratings of the officers' stewards and cooks branch is sufficient to meet the manning requirements of the Port Division without the employment of non-continuous service Maltese ratings?
Mr. DAVIDSONWith regard to the first part of the question, the Admiralty has no information. The answer to the second part is that Maltese officers' stewards and cooks are not generally employed in ships in home waters, but that no absolute rule can be laid down; to the third part, that under existing arrangements such a situation could very rarely arise. As regards the fourth part, the answer is in the negative, because the intention is that ships in the Mediterranean shall employ Maltese as far as possible.