§ 80. Mr. Haymanasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty how many officers and other ranks, respectively, have purchased their discharges in each of the five years to the latest convenient date.
Mr. WardThe numbers of officers permitted to retire voluntarily and ratings who purchased their discharge were as follows:
Year Officers Ratings 1952 … —* 193 1953 … —* 279 1954 … 114 1,254 1955 … 251 1,495 1956 (part year) … 140 749 * No statistics readily available. In 1952 and 1953 discharge was limited to ratings with exceptional compassionate reasons. The same applied to officers, and the numbers concerned would be very small.