§ Commander Purseyasked the Civil Lord of the Admiralty what is the number of sons of officers and ratings, respectively, at the Royal Navy's seamen's orphanage at Holbrook, Suffolk, whose fees are wholly or partly paid from Navy votes; and what are the ranges of these annual fees for officers' and ratings' sons.
§ Mr. HayI assume the hon. and gallant Member is referring to the Royal Hospital School, Holbrook. Navy education allowances which cover the full fees of £100 per annum are paid in respect of 85 sons of serving officers and of 185 sons of serving ratings.
§ Commander Purseyasked the Civil Lord of the Admiralty what are the ranks of officers and ratings who have sons at the Royal Navy's seamen's orphanage at Holbrook, Suffolk, whose fees are paid from Navy votes; and how many fathers are serving in the Royal Navy and have been pensioned, respectively.
§ Mr. HayI assume the hon. and gallant Member is referring to the Royal 189W Hospital School, Holbrook. The ranks of officers and ratings are not relevant for the purpose of considering applications for admission to the Royal Hospital School and such information is not available in a form which enables an answer to be given to the first part of the question.
At the time when the 680 boys now in the School were first selected for admission the status of their fathers was as follows:—
Officers Serving … … 85 No longer serving … … 105 190 Ratings Serving … … 185 No longer serving … … 305 490 Total: 680
§ Commander Purseyasked the Civil Lord of the Admiralty what is the present proportion of the 680 places at the Royal Navy's seamen's orphanage at Holbrook, Suffolk, for the sons of officers and ratings, respectively; what is the basis of this proportion; and how far it differs from the original policy adopted in 1949.
§ Mr. HayI assume that the hon. and gallant Member is referring to the Royal Hospital School, Holbrook.
The present proportion of officers' sons to ratings' sons is 27 per cent. This proportion varies slightly from term to term and is not due to any policy of building up to a pre-determined percentage. It would be considerably lower if a larger number of qualified ratings' sons had presented themselves for admission and, by virtue of the priority accorded to ratings' sons, would become lower if more such applicants are forthcoming in future.
§ Commander Purseyasked the Civil Lord of the Admiralty what was the number of applications for the sons of officers and ratings, respectively, for the last entry into the Royal Navy's seamen's orphanage at Holbrook, Suffolk; how many in each category have both parents, and one parent, dead, respectively; and how many of those selected were not orphans.
§ Mr. HayI assume the hon. and gallant Member is referring to the Royal Hospital School, Holbrook.
190WThe figures for May, 1963, are:
Officers' Sons Ratings' Sons Applicants Both parents dead … — — One parent dead … — 5 Both parents living … 10 37 Admissions One parent dead … — 5 Both parents living … 8 26
§ Commander Purseyasked the Civil Lord of the Admiralty what is the number of commissioned officers who have not served on the lower deck, and whose sons have been accepted for the Royal Navy's seamen's orphanage at Holbrook, Suffolk; and what are the ranks of these officers.
§ Mr. HayI assume that the hon. and gallant Member is referring to the Royal Hospital School, Holbrook.
Service as a rating is not a prerequisite for admission of an officer's son to the school; neither is the rank of the father of significance for consideration of the application. Records are, therefore, not maintained in a form which enables this Question to be answered.
As I stated in answer to a Question by the hon. and gallant Member on 3rd July last [OFFICIAL REPORT, Vol. 680, cc. 359–60] an analysis of the May, 1963, entry shows that eight sons of officers were then admitted, all eight fathers being promoted ratings.
§ Commander Purseyasked the Civil Lord of the Admiralty what is the number of ratings whose sons have been entered at the Royal Navy's seamen's orphanage at Holbrook, Suffolk, and who have been awarded commissions during the time their sons have been at the orphanage.
§ Mr. HayI assume the hon. and gallant Member is referring to the Royal Hospital School, Holbrook.
The status of the father has no significance once a boy has been admitted to the School and no records are maintained which would enable an answer to be given to this Question.
§ Commander Purseyasked the Civil Lord of the Admiralty what is the age range for present entries of the sons of officers and ratings, respectively, into the Royal Navy's seamen's orphanage at Holbrook, Suffolk, and the age range on departure.
191W
§ Mr. HayI assume that the hon. and gallant Member is referring to the Royal Hospital School, Holbrook. No differentiation is made between officers' sons and ratings' sons in age of entry or leaving. The normal age range at entry is from 11¼ to 12¼ years of age, but older boys are considered for admission if compassionate circumstances are present. Boys leave the school between the national school leaving age and the age of 18 or over.
§ Commander Purseyasked the Civil Lord of the Admiralty what is the number of boys at the Royal Navy's seamen's orphanage at Holbrook, Suffolk, whose fathers were ratings in the Merchant Navy, or who had served in the fishing fleets or lifeboat service.
§ Mr. HayI assume that the hon. and gallant Member is referring to the Royal Hospital School, Holbrook. Nominations for the admission of boys whose fathers served in these organisations are sponsored by Lloyd's Patriotic Fund. The number of boys now in the School by virtue of such nomination is twenty-two.
§ Commander Purseyasked the Civil Lord of the Admiralty what is the total amount of land of the Reade estate given free to Greenwich Hospital, the amount now in use for the Royal Navy's seamen's orphanage at Holbrook, Suffolk, and other purposes; and for what purposes it is used.
§ Mr. HayI assume the hon. and gallant Member is referring to the Royal Hospital School, Holbrook. The total area of the estate given by Mr. G. S. Reade was about 850 acres. Subsequent purchases have increased the area of the Holbrook estate to some 890 acres which is used for the following purposes:
Acres (approx.) Royal Hospital School (Buildings, playing fields, etc.) 150 Royal Hospital School Home Farm 550 Brook Farm (Let on an Agricultural Tenancy) 150 Miscellaneous revenue producing properties (e.g. houses, cottages, allotments, woodland) 40
§ Commander Purseyasked the Civil Lord of the Admiralty what is the total amount of money of the Reade estate so far given to the Royal Navy's seamen's orphanage at Holbrook, Suffolk, the further amount of money held in 192W trust, the date on which it is to mature, and the amount it is expected to be.
§ Mr. HayI assume the hon. and gallant Member is referring to the Royal Hospital School, Holbrook.
In 1946 the following amounts were transferred from the G. S. Reade Will Trust to the Admiralty:—
- £409,100 3 per cent. Savings Bonds 1955–65;
- £111,750 3 per cent. Savings Bonds 1960–70;
- £12,500 3 per cent Savings Bonds 1965–70.
At this time, in accordance with the testator's wishes, his trustees retained £100,000 3 per cent. Savings Bonds 1960–70 to form an Accumulation Fund and a sum of £121,200 in 3 per cent. Savings Bonds 1955–65 and 1960–70 as an Annuity Fund. As stated in the Greenwich Hospital and Travers Foundation Accounts 1961–62 (Cd. 180) the Accumulation Fund has now been transferred to the Admiralty, its market value on 31st March, 1963, being £122,000. The Accumulation Fund will mature in 2002. Its value on maturity will depend on the progress during the next 40 years of the numerous stocks and shares in which it is invested. The Annuity Fund remains in the charge of the Reade Trustees and now consists of £37,680 (nominal) of 3½ per cent. Funding Stock 1999–2004, the remainder having been transferred to the Admiralty. On the value of the Reade funds now controlled by the Admiralty, excluding the Accumulation Fund, I would refer the hon. and gallant Member to the 1961–62 Accounts (Cd. 180) page 5.
With the exception of the Accumulation Fund, all Reade funds controlled by the Admiralty are merged with the Greenwich Hospital general fund and no portion is specifically earmarked for maintenance of the Royal Hospital School.
§ Commander Purseyasked the Civil Lord of the Admiralty why the regulations for the entry of the sons of seamen into the Royal Navy's seamen's orphanage at Holbrook, Suffolk, and information of the categories of orphans who are given priority, is not published in the current Navy List, as hitherto; and in what publication petty officers and seamen are now able to find this information.
193W
§ Mr. HayI assume that the hon. and gallant Member is referring to the Royal Hospital School, Holbrook. The facilities afforded by this School, including the entry regulations approved by Order-in-Council, are still published in the Navy List, but reproduction of fuller details in this publication would serve no useful purpose. Full information on the School is disseminated in the Fleet by various means, including a film, pre-arranged visits by school officials to the main ports, Fleet Orders and availability at various centres of the illustrated School brochure. The current regulations approved by Order-in-Council are published as S.I. 1948 No. 2792.