§ Mr. HOHLERasked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether he is aware that ship's stewards enter this branch of the service as lads after passing an examination; that they are of or about the age of twenty-one, and of three years' service, when they pass their examination for the rating of ship's stewards; that they have to wait for about five years or more before they are promoted to the position of ship's steward; that until they are so promoted their pay is only 1s. 10d. a day, and that as they are on their promotion to the rating of ship's steward, and are of about eight years' service, it is impossible for them within their twenty-two years of service to obtain the progressive rates of pay in excess of 4s. a day; and whether he will take any steps to remedy this state of things and improve their position?
§ Mr. McKENNAThe statement as to the pay and conditions of service of ship's stewards' assistants is subtantially correct, but the statement that a ship's steward's assistant promoted to ship's steward after eight years' service cannot obtain more than 4s. a day pay during his twenty-two years' service in the Royal Navy is inaccurate. Under existing regulations such a man would receive 5s. a day after eighteen years' combined service as ship's steward and ship's steward's assistant. The question of the slowness of promotion in the ship's steward branch has been engaging the attention of the Board of Admiralty for some time past.