§ Mr. CHARLES DUNCANasked the Secretary to the Admiralty the total number of warrant officers and men victualled in the Royal Naval Barracks at Portsmouth, Chatham, and Devonport on Friday, 6th June, 1913; and how many of them were not eligible through age to draw the rum ration on that day?
§ Dr. MACNAMARAThe information asked for by my hon. Friend would have to be obtained from the Naval Barracks, and it would give those establishments a considerable amount of clerical labour to work out the particulars. It was estimated in 1911 that, roughly, something over 12 per cent. of the men then entitled to draw the rum ration elected to receive the allowance in lieu; and it is contemplated, when the changes in system to be introduced on 1st July have been in force six months, to obtain statistics from the Fleet of the proportion of men who then take the allowance and not the ration in kind.