§ Major GLYNasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Shipping whether the number of officers of the mercantile marine who belong to the Royal Naval Reserve is greater or less now than before the War in proportion to the number of officers; whether there is any reason to believe that as a result of the treatment of some officers during the War and subsequent thereto service in the Royal Naval Reserve does not offer the same attractions as formerly; and whether he is prepared to inquire into the matter?
§ Sir J. CRAIGI have been asked to reply to this question. The proportion of officers of the mercantile marine serving in the Royal Naval Reserve before the War was slightly higher than the present proportion in consequence of the fact that no entries into the Royal Naval Reserve,66W with the exception of a small number of probationary midshipmen, have been accepted since the conclusion of hostilities.
It is intended to resume entries when the regulations regarding the Royal Naval Reserve, which are now under revision, are promulgated; and there is good reason to assume that there will be no difficulty in completing the lists of Royal Naval Reserve officers to the full number required. The applications that have been received for entry into the permanent Royal Naval Reserve Force since the Armistice are numerous and lead to the conclusion that service in this force has not lost its attractions for the mercantile marine.