§ Mr. PENNEFATHERasked the Financial Secretary to the Admiralty which Department of the Admiralty deals with the payment of prize money, the number of working hours per week in that Department, the number of persons engaged in it as compared with the let January last, the cost since that date, and the, amount of prize money distributed?
§ Commander EYRES-MONSELLThe payment of prize money is dealt with by the Prize Branch of the Department of the Accountant-General of the Navy, which is also responsible for all the miscellaneous work connected with the Naval Prize Fund and for medal service records. The general working hours of the staff are 44 per week, and there are now in the branch 183 persons, of whom 169 are ex-service, while the total number on 1st January last was 201. The amount of prize money distributed since that date is £6,500,000 to over 300,000 applicants, the cost of the staff being approximately £43,000 per annum.