§ Sir CLEMENT KINLOCH-COOKEasked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether he is aware that, except under very early and preferred promotion, chief ships' cooks in the Royal Navy cannot reach the maximum rate of pay allowed by the Service; whether he will consider the advisability of so amending their scale of pay as to place them on a level in this respect with other similar ratings; whether chief ships' cooks are now employed as instructors; if so, what payment is made them for the extra work; and, if no payment is made, will he consider the question of making some payment for this kind of work?
§ Mr. McKENNAPrior to 1908 the scale of pay of a chief ship's cook was 3s. a day, rising after three years' service to 3s. 6d. a day. In that year, on the recommendation of a committee which inquired into cookery arrangements of the Fleet, the scale of pay for cook ratings was improved, the pay of a chief ship's cook being raised to 3s. 6d. a day, proceeding by triennial increments of 3d. a day to a maximum of 4s. 6d. a day. It is probable that the highest rate of the scale can only be obtained by chief ship's cooks who have received early promotion or who may be specially permitted to remain in the Active Service after completing time for pension, but this is not regarded as affording any reason for again altering the scale of pay which was adopted after careful consideration. As in the case of other naval ratings, certain chief ship's cooks and ship's cooks are employed in giving instruction in technical knowledge, which they have themselves acquired in the Service. This is part of their ordinary duty, and it is not contemplated to grant extra pay to them on this account.