§ 25. Major Beamishasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty in 280W what circumstances men serving on Regular engagements with the Royal Navy are permitted to purchase their discharge; how this compares with the practice in 1938; and what is the reason for the difference in practice.
Mr. DugdaleAt present Naval ratings and Royal Marines serving on Regular engagements are in general permitted to purchase their discharge only on exceptional compassionate grounds. In certain branches, however, where there is an overbearing of chief and petty officers, men of those rates may be granted discharge on compassionate grounds even though the circumstances are not exceptional. Applications from boys under training are also given special and sympathetic consideration.
The normal practice in force in 1938 allowed applications not only for compassionate reasons but also on general grounds provided the applicant had good and substantial reasons for seeking discharge and the application was recommended as being in the real interests of the man, but this practice is at present in abeyance because of the shortage of men serving on Regular engagements. It is explicitly stated in the regulations that discharge cannot be claimed as a right and that it is within the power of the Admiralty to suspend discharge by purchase at any time or to refuse discharge in a particular case.