§ Sir T. BRAMSDONasked the First Lord of the Admiralty, seeing that of the naval schoolmasters now serving about 25 per cent. have completed over eight years' service and about 18 per cent. over 10 years' service on the lower deck prior to promotion to warrant rank, why are they, on being allowed to retire, not to be placed on the same footing as regards retired pay as all other commissioned warrant and warrant officers?
§ Dr. MACNAMARAMy hon. Friend is under a misapprehension. I am advised that naval schoolmasters of the old system who served for any period on the Lower Deck prior to promotion to 451W warrant rank, on being retired, are pensioned on the ordinary scale for warrant and commissioned warrant officers.
§ Sir T. BRAMSDONasked the First Lord of the Admiralty as all naval schoolmasters now serving who joined His Majesty's Navy before October, 1911, were not required to serve six months as probationers or as schoolmaster candidates, why is it now considered necessary that these officers should be deprived of six months' seniority for purposes of pay and pension; and whether the removal of this Clause will be considered?
§ Dr. MACNAMARAWhen the new scheme for naval schoolmasters was introduced, schoolmasters who entered under the old system were given the option of participating in the several advantages of the now scheme. But, inasmuch as this new scheme, on the other hand, involved a preliminary period of six months which would not count for pension, the option involved the acceptance of that feature of the scheme as well. All the schoolmasters to whom my hon. Friend refers accepted the option.