§ Lord CHARLES BERESFORDasked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether the Board of Admiralty can see their way to granting optional retirement to officers of the accountant branch of the Navy from the age of forty-five onwards, according to scale, with the view of removing the grievance of these officers, who are now all compelled to serve on until the age of fifty-five, while officers of all other branches of the Service have the option of retiring at least ten years younger, and also with the view of relieving the congestion of promotion of assistant-paymasters which is rapidly becoming acute?
§ Mr. CHURCHILLThe question of reducing the optional age of retirement for officers of the accountant branch is already under the consideration of the Board of Admiralty.