§ Sir T. BRAMSDONasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty, if he will give a list of the ratings at Portsmouth who elected representatives for the Welfare Committee, 1924; the number of each of these ratings who were at the port and were eligible to attend the meetings arranged for the selection of the representatives; the number of representatives of each class who were elected and the number of each class who actually attended the meetings that elected the representatives; and if the present system of election is considered satisfactory?
§ Mr. AMMONOn the assumption that the elections for Port Class Request meet- 53W ings at Portsmouth are referred to, and that "Classes" means branches of the
— 1. 2. 3. 4. Seaman Yes 4,829 7 19 Signal Yes 260 2 5 Telegraphist Yes 460 2 60 Sailmaker Yes 7 1 2 Regulating Yes 74 1 7 Mechanician Yes 11 2 2 Stokers Yes 1,833 6 13 E.R.A.'s Yes 515 5 80 Royal Marines, including Divisional Band No 1,074 Nil Nil Royal Marine Bands Yes 207 4 155 Electrical Artificers Yes 186 3 13 Ordnance Artificers Yes 100 2 6 Armourers Yes 64 2 1 Shipwrights Yes 174 4 19 Joiners Yes 39 1 2 Blacksmiths Yes 22 1 1 Plumbers Yes 22 1 1 Painters No 25 Nil Nil Coopers No 13 Nil Nil Writers Yes 211 2 24 Supply Yes 82 2 2 Cooks No 175 Nil Nil Sick Berth Yes 241 5 37 Officers' Stewards Yes 366 3 9 Officers' Cooks Yes 109 3 3 With regard to the fifth part of the question the existing arrangements for these elections are considered to be the best which can be devised.