§ Mr. SUTHERLANDasked the First Lord of-the Admiralty the pay and conditions as to separation allowances and special war retainers of men in the Royal Naval Reserve (Trawler) as compared with fishermen on hired drifters engaged on boom defence?
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§ Dr. MACNAMARAThe rates of pay of ratings belonging to the Trawler Section of the Royal Naval Reserve are as follows:
Second Hands 6s. per day Plus War retainer at, £1 a month. Enginemen Leading Deck Hand and Leading Trimmer 4s. per day Deck Hands 3s. 6d. per day Trimmers and Trimmer Cooks Boys 1s. per day No War retainer All ratings receive a- provision allowance of 1s. 5d. per day and a free kit on entry. All ratings (other than boys) receive a gratuity of thirty days' pay on discharge, if they have completed twelve months' service unbroken by desertion. The families of these men are entitled to sparation allowance. In regard to the crews of hired drifters, these men were formerly employed on a civilian basis, but arrangements have recently been made to engage them under a spcial form of agreement by which they will be subject to naval discipline. The standard rates of pay, which are variable to a small extent under local conditions, are as follows:
Orkneys and Shetlands only. Mate 6s. 1d. per day 7s. 3d. per day Engineer 7s. 4d. per day 8s. 6d. per day Remainder of Orew 4s 10d. per day 6s. per day A daily allowance of 1s. 5d. for food is also paid, and the crews receive periodical gratuities when they are required to wear uniform. The families are not entitled to separation allowance. Issue of Navy separation allowance to a wife is conditional, primarily, upon the husband being a Naval rating, Marine or Reservist, borne on the books of one of His Majesty's ships, and in receipt of naval rates of pay. It is also necessary that he should allot, voluntarily, not not less than 5s. a week in favour of his wife. The conditions are given more fully in a Memorandum which I am sending to my hon. Friend separately.