§ Mr. THOMASasked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether he is aware that men attached to the Royal Fleet Reserve, and who annually travel from their place of residence at Derby to Plymouth for the purpose of training, have in the past been allowed their travelling expenses, but by a recent order these men, who, happen to be employed by a railway company and thereby entitled to an annual free pass and privilege ticket, which privilege has been accepted by all independent arbitrators, 'when considering applications from the men for improved conditions of service, as part of their weekly wages, are now denied the equivalent money value of such privilege tickets; whether he will take steps to immediately prevent his Department from taking advantage of these men, who are anxious to serve their country, because they are railway employés by immediately cancelling the order which deprives them of their rights; and will he make his decision retrospective and thereby do what every ordinary employer of labour would recognise as just and equitable?
§ Dr. MACNAMARAThe Admiralty is precluded under its regulations from making repayment on account of a railway journey such as that indicated in the question, unless the applicant can produce a certificate that the expenditure has been actually incurred. In this case no such expenditure has been made, and, therefore, the Admiralty cannot make repayment. I would suggest that the persons concerned might in future retain their privilege tickets for use on private occasions, and take ordinary tickets when proceeding to Plymouth on service, the cost of which would be refunded by the Admiralty. As the question seems to indicate some recent change in practice, I should like to add that this is not the case, the Admiralty practice always having been as I have stated.