§ Sir T. BRAMSDONasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty what the alterations in the compulsory kit of chief petty officers asked for by the advisory members to the 1919 Welfare Committee consisted of, observing that Item 50 of Admiralty Monthly Order 2,359 of 1920 merely states dress of chief petty officers to be altered, which does not convey any information to the chief petty officers of the Royal Navy of what the requested alterations consisted?
§ Mr. AMERYThe alterations in the compulsory kit of chief petty officers, 607W suggested by the advisory members of the 1919 Welfare Committee, were stated in paragraph 364 of the Committee's Report to be "broadly" as follow:—
Of these, (a) cap badges for chief petty officers, and the latter part of (d), namely, that regulating chief petty officers should wear three buttons on the cuffs of their jackets, have been approved. The remaining suggestions have not been approved. I am sending the hon. Member copies of Admiralty Monthly Orders Nos. 1314/20 and 3098/20, which relate to this subject.
- (a) Cap badges for all chief petty officers to be encircled with laurel leaves.
- (b) That chief petty officers of branches, whose officers wear distinction colour cloth, should also wear rings of those colours.
- (c) That executive chief petty officers should wear distinction badges encircled with laurel leaves, with crown above.
- (d) That regulating chief petty officers should wear distinction badges encircled with laurel leaves, with three buttons on each cuff.
- (e) Distinction badges to be removed from collars of chief petty officers' uniform in all cases, and where asked for, to be worn on the right forearm above any distinction cloth ring.
- (f) That no artificer, artisan, or stoker chief petty officer ratings should wear distinction badges, their branches being shown by the colours of the rings on their arms. Other chief petty officers should wear distinction badges, with crown above. Mechanicians, however, should have distinction badges, but not a crown.