HC Deb 19 November 1917 vol 99 cc871-3W
Captain BLAIR

asked the Secretary to the Admiralty what material improvements, if any, have taken place since the outbreak of hostilities in the pay and prospects of the Accountants' Branch of the Royal Navy; and, in view of the fact that it is more than three years since a Committee reported upon this subject, and taking into account the increase in the cost of living, will he give effect to the recommendations of the Committee without any further delay?

Dr. MACNAMARA

The following improvements in pay and prospects, which include a number of the Committee's recommendations, have been made since the outbreak of hostilities:

  1. (1) Three good service pensions of £100 a year each have been instituted for retired officers of the Accountant Branch, and two of them have already been given.
  2. (2) Charge pay of 3s. 6d. per day has been granted during the War to the senior accountant officers of certain seagoing ships.
  3. (3) An allowance of 2s. 6d. a day has been given to accountant officers borne for victualling duties where the daily average number borne is large.
  4. (4) An allowance of 1s. a day has been granted during the War to captain's clerks in ships in which the highest rate of command money is paid.
  5. (5) The initial rate of pay of assistant paymasters has been increased from 5s. to 7s. 6d. a day.
  6. (6) The title of assistant paymaster of four years' seniority has been changed to paymaster, and that of paymaster to staff-paymaster.
  7. (7) Commissioned warrant rank has been instituted for both writers and stewards, six commissioned writers and four commissioned stewards being allowed.
  8. (8) The number of warrant writers and warrant stewards has been increased to fifty-two and thirty-seven respectively.
  9. (9) Provision has been made for ten promotions to be made to the rank of paymaster from commissioned writers and warrant writers, and six from commissioned stewards and warrant stewards, these totals to be reached gradually and the number of warrant and commissioned warrant ranks to be correspondingly reduced. Half of these promotions have already been carried out.
  1. (10) The initial pay of warrant writers has been increased from 7s. to 7s. 6d. a day, and that of warrant stewards from 8s. to 8s. 6d.
In addition, temporary acting higher rank has been given to officers in a large number of cases, and the promotion of clerks to assistant paymaster has been considerably accelerated. The question of increased pay in relation to the increased cost of living is under consideration.