HC Deb 03 July 1924 vol 175 cc1515-6W
Major HORE-BELISHA

asked the Civil Lord of the Admiralty whether his attention has been called to the fact that several subordinate acting officers of the C.Ms., E.Ms., and E.Es. Department of His Majesty's dockyard, Devonport, who have been carrying out duties of acting inspectors of trades for a considerable period, and particularly during the War, are threatened with supersession and reversion to a lower rank, although they all qualified with a good percentage of marks at the 1908 and/or 1912 examinations, and would in the ordinary course have been confirmed in their ranks after five years' acting time, and that these men were compelled to compete again in the 1923 examinations with all entrants above 25 years of age, and to ensure the retention of their appointments they had to attain the topmost position on the new lists; and whether, in view of the Home Dockyard Regulations, Article 412, 1904 edition, which states that the employment of persons in acting situations by virtue of their position on an examination list is not to be affected by the result of any subsequent examination, and when it is required to reduce the number of acting appointments those who were last appointed from the latest examination list are to be first selected to fall back to their established position, unless there be some special reason to the contrary, in which case a Report is to be made to the Admiralty, he will see that no breach of this Regulation takes place in Devon-port dockyard to the prejudice of those who have continuously and faithfully performed their duties?

Mr. HODGES

Now that the post-War complements of foremen and inspectors of the dockyards have been applied, acting appointments in these grades will cease, with the exception of a few special posts and a limited number of cases of officers employed in the place of confirmed foremen and inspectors detached from the dockyards. The selection of acting officers in these posts is now being considered, and the hon. Member may rest assured that all the relevant factors will be taken into account.