§ Sir JOHN BENNasked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether any decision has been arrived at with regard to the request that no chief petty or non-commissioned officer shall be disrated until tried and sentenced by a court-martial; and that such tribunal shall have upon it an officer possessing technical knowledge of the duties of the officer charged?
§ Mr. McKENNAA Departmental Committee recently recommended that no change should be made in the existing practice; and at a deputation which I received in July last I explained that I could not hold out any hope that the Admiralty would take any steps to reconsider their attitude in this matter.