§ Mr. HORE-BELISHAasked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether the post-War complement of shipwright officers has been reduced; and, if so, what are the comparative figures?
§ Lieut.-Colonel HEADLAMOwing to a slight reduction of requirements, the number of shipwright officers borne has fallen from 147, at which figure it stood 12 months ago, to 140. It is anticipated that, for the time being, a number of about 140 will be maintained, but the future requirements of officers of this branch must depend upon the outcome of the experiment of extending the period between ships' refits, referred to in the statement of the First Lord on the Navy Estimates for 1927 (Cmd. 2816/27).