§ Colonel Wheatleyasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty why he differentiates between the carpenter scientific officers of the armament supply department, who have to possess the same qualifications, and carpenter scientific officers of other departments who received the White Paper terms long ago.
§ Mr. W. EdwardsI assume that the hon. and gallant Member has in mind the chemists employed in the Royal Naval Propellant Factory. It is, however, incorrect to call these chemists carpenter scientific officers. Although they have hitherto been given scales of pay similar to those for carpenter grades, they did not come within the terms of the Carpenter Committee's Report, and have not formed part of the Admiralty 91W Scientific Technical and Chemical Pools which have now been reorganised as the Royal Naval Scientific Service. These chemists are employed on production duties, and are comparable with managerial grades rather than with the scientific staff of the Royal Naval Scientific Service, who are employed on research, development and design. They are not, therefore, covered by the terms of the White Paper. As stated in my reply to the hon. and gallant Member on 16th October, revision of salary scales of the chemists in question is under consideration.