§ Sir T. BRAMSDONasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty the number of chief sick-berth petty officers, sick-berth petty officers, and leading and sick-berth attendant ratings now employed at the Royal Naval Hospital, Portland; and if he is aware that dissatisfaction exists with regard to the amount of leave these ratings are able to obtain, on account of the shortage of staff, as compared with other ratings of equal status in the port?
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§ Mr. AMMONThe numbers asked for in the first part of the question are one, three, five and nine, respectively. With regard to the second part of the question, I am not aware that there is any dissatisfaction, but leave is more difficult to arrange at small hospitals than at large ones. The matter was carefully considered as the result of a welfare request in 1922, and it was found that the circumstances did not justify any increase of complement.