§ Major HORE-BELISHAasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty whether he has now considered the steps to be taken on the one hand to advance promotion and on the other to advance recruitment, in order to remedy the stagnation in promotion on the one hand and the shortage of staff on the other, in the cookery branch of the Royal Navy?
§ Mr. HODGESThis matter has now been investigated, and it is found, as regards advancement, that the situation produced by the War is improving, and that no special measures are necessary. As regards numbers borne, the Naval Estimates are based on the assumption that recuiting proceeds evenly throughout the financial year in all branches of the Service, and it is not proposed to alter this arrangement in raising the additional numbers required this year for the cookery branch.