§ Captain W. G. HALLasked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether there are regulations governing the appointment of senior dockyard foremen to posts abroad; whether foremen in home yards may be permitted to decline to proceed to such appointments on domestic or other grounds without detriment to their chances of further promotion; and whether length of time already served abroad is a factor taken into consideration in making such appointments?
Mr. ALEXANDERThere are no regulations governing the appointment of senior foremen to posts abroad; if possible such appointments are filled by the junior officer in the grade who receives his promotion on appointment. A foreman may be permitted to decline promotion and appointment to a post for senior foreman abroad on domestic and other grounds, and if the grounds of refusal were accepted as reasonable his claims for promotion would not be prejudiced when subsequent vacancies arise. Length of service abroad in the grade of senior foreman would be taken into consideration in making appointments of senior foreman to posts abroad, but service abroad in a lower grade is not taken into account.