HC Deb 08 October 1909 vol 11 cc2465-6W
Mr. BARNARD

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty, in reference to the stopping of the pay of a petty officer lent by the Government to the Shackleton expedition, if he will say what happened in the case of the "Discovery" expedition; how many men were lent by the Admiralty for that expedition; were they in receipt of their full pay during the expedition; was the "Discovery" expedition private as in the case of the Shackleton expedition; and, if the "Discovery" men received their full pay from the Admiralty, why in the present case has it been withheld?

Mr. McKENNA

In the case of the Antarctic expedition of 1907 no application was made to the Admiralty for the services of Naval officers or men. The petty officer in question was not applied for, but he voluntarily asked for his discharge from the Navy in order to join the expedition, and was allowed to remain on the books of the Navy during his absence only in consideration of his excellent record and his expressed desire not to sever his connection with the Naval service entirely.