§ Mr. GWYNNEasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty whether, under the new scale of pay in the Navy which is intended to be an advance on the former pay, a sub-lieutenant is, in fact, receiving 6d. a day less than before owing to the fact that mess and other allowances are stopped; and whether he will have the matter inquired into with a view to remedying what is obviously a mistake?
§ Dr. MACNAMARAI am not aware that under the new Regulations a sub-lieutenant receives in pay 6d. a day less than under the old. The pay of a sub-lieutenant was, up to 31st January, 7s. 6d. and is now 10s. a day. It is true that messing allowance has been abolished, but this, I am advised, applied only to officers of the Royal Naval Reserve. My hon. Friend will, of course, realise that allowances depend upon duties, and that it is therefore impossible to guarantee their continuance. I may, however, state that officers of all ranks were permitted to retain their former pay and allowances, if more advantageous to them than the new pay and allowances, during appointments held at the date of issue of the new Regulations.