§ Mr. Staintonasked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will give details of specific publicity measures taken in each of the past three years to bring to the attention of eligible families the facilities available at the Royal Hospital School, Holbrook.
§ Mr. J. P. W. MallalieuPublicity measures regularly taken include circularising Service Welfare Organisations and the publication of information in orders, etc., to the Fleet and shore establishments.
All directors of education are fully informed about the school, and there is a regular entry in the Digest of Charities. Articles on the school appear from time to time in Navy News, Ashore and Afloat, The Navy, and the S.S.A.F.A. Magazine. In addition, we are showing widely a 16 m.m. film in black and white about the school.
Recent specific measures include a series of visits by the Headmaster and members of his staff to Portsmouth and Plymouth Naval Commands, during which they explained to officers and ratings of the Royal Navy the facilities offered by the school, and the conditions for entry.
§ Mr. Staintonasked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will give particulars of the father's seafaring connection in relation to new entries to the Royal Hospital School, Holbrook, in each of the past five years under the following headings, namely, Royal Navy, commissioned, Royal Navy, lower deck, Royal Marines, commissioned, Royal Marines, non-commissioned, temporary war-time naval reserves, other naval reserves, Merchant Navy, fishing, pilotage and miscellaneous.
§ Mr. J. P. W. MallalieuAn analysis of the admissions during the last five18W years, distinguishing between officers and ratings of the Royal Navy and Royal Marines and officers and ratings of the Merchant and Allied Services is as follows:
Royal Navy/Royal Marines Merchant Navy, etc. Year Officers Ratings Officers Ratings Total 1960 37 99 1 1 138 1961 53 119 2 3 177 1962 37 93 — 2 132 1963 43 112 7 2 164 1964–65 37* 95 2† — 134 * Includes 11 sons of direct entry officers. † Both sons of direct entry officers. Note: From September, 1964, the commencement of the school year, the admission of sons of direct entry officers (i.e. officers having less than four years' rating's service, or no rating's service) has been restricted to 10 per cent.).
It is not possible to give statistics in the precise terms of the Question since such particulars are not required for the purpose of determining eligibility.