§ Major HORE-BELISHAasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty the number of Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve instructors, chief petty officers, and petty officers, respectively, specifying which of these are pensioners and which active-service ratings, now borne in each of the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve divisions; whether, in view of the fact that there is no advancement roster for chief petty officers and that petty officers are removed from the advancement rosters on appointment to the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve, he will state whether on appointment to the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve all chief petty officers and petty officers, respectively, are removed definitely and finally 1841W from their port divisional complement and their places immediately filled by the promotion of other active-service ratings; and, if not, whether arrangements can be made for the transfer of ratings to the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve to be considered in all respects as if these ratings had been discharged to pension in the ordinary manner?
§ Mr. HODGESWith regard to the first part of the question the numbers at present are 75 chief petty officers and five petty officers. These are all pensioners except eight chief petty officers who will all have been pensioned by the 29th October next except one, who will be pensioned on the 29th January, 1925. With regard to the remainder of the question, Royal Naval Vounteer Reserve instructors, whether active service or pensioners, are not removed from their port divisional complement, since they are part of Vote A, and their billets are provided for in Vote A and in port divisional complement. It is not possible to consider them as if they had been discharged to pension in the ordinary way, as they are borne in Vote A. Even if they were removed from Vote A they would also be removed from the port divisional complement. The present arrangements regarding these instructors do not affect the advancement of active service ratings.