§ Sir B. FALLEasked the First Lord of the Admiralty how many chief writers of the Portsmouth Port Division were drafted to foreign service and Atlantic Fleet during the year 1st January to 31st December, 1929?
§ Sir B. FALLEasked the First Lord of the Admiralty on what principle home service is carried out when Portsmouth chief writers who are tenth, twelfth and sixteenth on the roster for sea service are drafted before those who are first to ninth, and so on, on the same roster; and when the man who is fifteenth on the chief writer's roster for sea service will be drafted to the Atlantic Fleet, and how much longer he will serve at home than the rating who was sixteenth on the roster and was drafted out of his turn to foreign service?
§ Mr. AMMONThe principle on which drafting is carried out from the roster is to ensure that all ratings receive as far as possible a fair share of each description of service. I am afaid that it is not possible to answer the last part of the question, as drafting requirements are governed by unforeseen vacancies which arise from various causes.