Sir I. Clark Hutchisonasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty if he will now make a statement on the future of the Naval Ordnance Design and Inspection Pool.
§ Mr. T. G. D. GalbraithFollowing recommendations of the Nihill Committee, the Board of Admiralty has decided to cease recruiting officers to the present Pool of officers employed on ordnance inspection, research, design and experimental duties, set up with effect from 21st November, 1929. Probationer officers other than ex-Emergency List will be given the option of returning to the General List, on a date to be announced, or of remaining under Pool conditions, subject to satisfactory completion of probation. In the event of their choosing to take the latter course, they will have the opportunity of applying for transfer to civilian conditions as indicated below.
The Board intends that the posts at present filled by Pool officers shall eventually be manned from the General List and by civilians in appropriate Civil Service gradings. The exact number of 28W posts to be filled from each source has not yet been determined.
The remaining Pool officers will gradually be replaced by officers from the above sources. It is hoped to transfer all suitable officers to appropriate civilian conditions should they so desire, or alternatively they will be given the option of remaining under the regulations for service in the Pool. Further details, including the numbers of civilian posts, of the competitions and of the qualifications required for them, will be announced later.