§ Sir B. FALLEasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty if the pay and retired pay for officers commissioned from the lower deck was reviewed about two years ago, and was based on retirement at the age of 55 years, and also that maximum pay could not be reached much under that age, nor could maximum retired pay be gained unless 55 were the 1711W age for retirement; and, as 50 and not 55 is now to be the fixed age for retirement, if the pay and retired pay of these officers will he remodelled forthwith on the new basis?
§ Mr. AMERYThe rates of pay of the officers in question depend upon rank and seniority and in view of the varying ages at which promotion takes place, have no close relation with age. Although retirement in the branches affected will in the future take place at an earlier age, promotion will, in the great majority of cases, also take place at a correspondingly earlier age, and the matter will, therefore, to a great extent right itself. In these circumstances the Admiralty do not see sufficient reason for altering the present rates.