§ Sir B. FALLEasked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether he is aware that vacancies exist for lieutenant under the four per cent. basis allocated to commissioned gunners for long and zealous service, owing to the number of lieutenants authorised in paragraph 1 of Appendix X, Part XIA, King's Regulations and Admiralty Instructions, Volume II., not being borne; whether Admiralty instructions have been issued to withhold the promotion of commissioned gunners of long and zealous service to four per cent. of the total number of commissioned gunners and gunners actually borne; and, if not, whether he will take steps to ensure that the commissioned gunners who have not been promoted to lieutenant shall now be promoted without the loss of seniority?
Mr. DAVIDSONNo vacancies at present exist for lieutenants promoted from commissioned gunner for long and zealous service. The regulations provide that normally 4 per cent. of the total number of officers in the branch shall be lieutenants promoted for long and zealous1302W service, but it has been the practice, so long as sufficient qualified officers to fill the other vacancies are not forthcoming or are likely to be forthcoming in the near future, to make further promotions of officers for long and zealous service, leaving only such vacancies for officers promoted after examination as are likely to he required for officers qualified or about to qualify. At present, four such vacancies are being retained. The present number of lieutenants promoted for long and zealous service now borne is appreciably in excess of the 4 per cent. normally allowed, and the last part of the question does not therefore arise.