§ Lord CHARLES BERESFORDasked the First Lord of the Admiralty if he will state the number of commissions as assistant paymaster, Royal Naval Reserve, that have been granted to men from the shore since the outbreak of war; whether any official representations have been made as to the inefficiency of any assistant paymasters, Royal Naval Reserve, since the outbreak of war; how many chief writers now serving were recommended for promotion by the latest half-yearly returns available; whether he is aware that all the highly trained and recommended chief writers are fully competent to carry out the duties of an assistant paymaster; how many have been promoted to that rank since the declaration of war; whether official representations have been made as to the desirability of promotion of chief writers in place of granting commissions to inexperienced men entered from the shore without examination; and, if so, what are the Admiralty proposals and when is it intended to give effect to them?
§ Dr. MACNAMARAThe answer to the first part of the question is 178, of whom 53 were serving as pursers or assistant pursers in ships taken over from the mercantile marine. The second and third parts of the question were dealt with in the reply I gave to the Noble Lord yesterday. I am fully aware that there are many deserving chief writers who are competent to carry out the duties of assistant paymaster, and their claims to advancement to warrant writer are at present under consideration.