§ General IVOR PHILIPPSasked the Secretary to the Admiralty whether A.M.C. ratings in the Royal Naval Air Service are required to find their own tools at an initial cost of £13 10s.; whether he is aware that the Admiralty allowance of 3d. per day for the use of these tools in the service of the State is insufficient to cover the cost of the wear and tear of such tools and provides no funds to pay for the use of the tools in the service of the State or to pay for loss and breakage; and whether he will consider the desirability of providing Government tools or increasing the daily allowance so as to prevent loss falling on the men?
§ Dr. MACNAMARAThe circumstances in which these ratings have been required to find their own tools were explained in my answer to my hon. Friend the Member for the Westhoughton Division on the 21st February. These ratings are generally enlisted from artisans who would already possess most of the tools contained in the list recently drawn up by the Admiralty; therefore an expenditure of only a few shillings would be necessary in most cases to bring the man's kit up to Admiralty requirements. Facilities are afforded to purchase tools at Government rates, which are considerably below those at present ruling in the retail market. Used Government tools may also be purchased to complete the kit at four-fifths of the Government rate for new tools. The 3d. per day allowed for upkeep of tools amounts, roughly, to £4 10s. per annum—sufficient to provide a new kit of tools every three years. The allowance should, therefore, amply cover depreciation and breakages. Practically all the tools included in the standard equipment are necessary to a fully qualified carpenter in civil employment—certainly none could be considered as useless on the man's return to civil life. It is, however, intended to issue a revised list of tools which will bring the cost of the full kit considerably below £13 10s.