§ Major HORE-BELISHAasked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether, in view of the stagnation in promotion in the signal and telegraph branches of the Royal Navy, and that ratings in these branches are now going eight to 10 years as leading rates, and the petty officers and yeomen of signals are going 10 years and over before they can get promotion to chief petty officer telegraphists or chief yeoman of signals, he will favourably consider their position in being deprived of the opportunity of qualifying for high rates of pension; and whether he can expedite the replies to items 11 and 31 of the 1924 Welfare Requests?
§ Mr. BRIDGEMANThe proportion of higher ratings in the different branches depends on Service requirements, and in the signal and telegraphist branches the proportion is a high one. The latest figures available indicate that the average periods spent in the petty officer and leading grades of these two branches are lower than those indicated in the question. The reply to the first part of the question is in the negative, and to the second part, that the replies to the Welfare Requests of 1924 will be promulgated at an early date.