§ 64 and 65. Commander Purseyasked the Secretary of State for Defence, (1)what was the number of the last entry into the Royal Hospital School, Holbrook, and the numbers who were the sons of ratings, officers commissioned from the lower deck and cadet-entry officers, respectively;
(2) what was the number of the last entry into the Royal Hospital School, Holbrook, of officers' and ratings' sons, respectively, with both parents living, one parent deceased and both parents deceased, respectively.
§ Mr. J. P. W. MallalieuOf the 36 boys who were entered at the beginning of the current term, 33 were the sons of ratings, of whom three had only one parent still living; two were sons of officers commissioned from the lower deck, with both parents living; and one was the son of a direct entry officer, with only one parent living.
§ Mr. Rhodesasked the Secretary of State for Defence what is the present complement of boys at the Royal Hospital School, Holbrook; what percentage are the sons of past and present Royal Navy officers; and what percentage are the sons of other ranks of the Royal Navy.
§ Mr. J. P. W. MallalieuThe complement is 660 although at present this has been somewhat exceeded. Of these boys 28.5 per cent. are sons of R.N. officers and 68½1 per cent. the sons of R.N. ratings. The sons of Merchant Seamen entered into the School make up the other 3.4 per cent.
§ Mr. Rhodesasked the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what percentage of each annual intake of boys in the last five years into the Royal Hospital School, Holbrook, were the sons of past and present officers of the Royal Navy;
217W(2) what percentage of each annual intake of boys in the last five years into the Royal Hospital School, Holbrook, were sons of other ranks of the Royal Navy.
§ Mr. J. P. W. MallalieuThe following table shows the percentage of each annual intake of officers' and ratings' sons in the last five years:
Year R.N. Officers' Sons R.N. Ratings' Sons 1960 … … 27.0 71.5 1961 … … 29.9 67.3 1962 … … 28.0 70.5 1963 … … 26.2 68.4 1964 … … 33.3 63.0 These percentages do not include the sons of merchant seamen at the school.
§ Mr. Rhodesasked the Secretary of State for Defence how many boys leaving the Royal Hospital School, Holbrook, entered the Royal Naval College, Dartmouth, in each of the last five years.
§ Mr. J. P. W. MallalieuA total of 16 boys have gained Dartmouth cadetships in the last five years as follows:
Year Number of boys 1960 … … … 3 1961 … … … 2 1962 … … … 2 1963 … … … 5 1964 … … … 4
§ Commander Purseyasked the Secretary of State for Defence what is the number of boys at the Royal Hospital School, Holbrook, whose fathers are officers or ratings, respectively, for whom fees are charged; what is the amount of the fees.
§ Mr. J. P. W. MallalieuOf the 675 boys 214 are the sons of officers; of these 211 pay fees ranging from £4 to £100 per annum. Of the 461 sons of ratings, 457 pay fees ranging from £4 to £100 per annum.
§ Commander Purseyasked the Secretary of State for Defence what is the number of boys at the Royal Hospital School, Holbrook, whose fathers are officers or ratings, respectively, for whom fees are charged, who are reimbursed from naval funds or by the local education authority, respectively; and what is the number of parents who themselves have to pay fees.
§ Mr. J. P. W. MallalieuOf the 675 boys in the school at the beginning of218W the spring term there were 7 for whom no fees were charged. For 37 boys reduced fees were charged. For the remaining 631 boys full fees were paid as follows:
By serving officers in receipt of Naval Education Allowance 120 By serving ratings in receipt of Navy Education Allowance 185 By parents with full Local Education Authority grants 92 By parents with full Local Education Authority assistance 97 By parents without assistance 137
§ Commander Purseyasked the Secretary of State for Defence what is the number of widows of naval ratings with sons at the Royal Hospital School, Holbrook, who themselves have to pay fees, and the range of yearly fees; and why widows have to pay fees at a school founded for the free education and maintenance of orphans of naval ratings.
§ Mr. J. P. W. MallalieuThere are 48 boys at the Royal Hospital School whose mothers are the widows of naval ratings. In 27 cases the full fee is paid by local education authorities. In a further 13 cases the local education authorities have assessed grants of less than the full amount and the parent is paying the balance. In the remaining eight cases—including three where the mother has remarried—where the parent has been unable to obtain assistance from the local education authorities, fees have been remitted entirely in two instances, and reduced in six.
The fees paid range from £4 to £69 per annum, with an overall average of £23 per annum.
Referring to the second part of the hon. and gallant Member's question, the Greenwich Hospital Charter does not refer to free education.