§ Mr. Parkerasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty whether he will state the date on which the present 42 rating candidates for sub-lieutenant were selected; the ships in which they have since been trained, for what periods, and the reasons for the changes; the number of instructor-officers appointed for their training; what steps have been taken to improve the educational tuition of these candidates, observing that in the previous class only eight out of 16 passed the educational test; and whether, in the nine months' course they only receive practice in working previous examination papers, or a proper course of tuition in the several subjects in which they have to qualify?
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§ Mr. ShakespeareThe 42 ratings in question were selected by fleet selection boards at various dates between May and September according to the station.
Arrangements were made for them to be drafted to two ships of the Home Fleet in September, but owing to the Fleet being temporarily placed on a war footing this became impracticable. Orders were subsequently issued for them to be collected at Portsmouth, where they commenced their special course, and later on they were drafted to His Majesty's ship "Resolution" and His Majesty's ship "Royal Sovereign." No special steps have been considered necessary to improve the educational tuition of the candidates, but in each of the ships mentioned there is a lieutenant-commander and an instructor-officer whose duty it is to supervise this instruction. The candidates receive a proper course of tuition in these ships.