§ 64. Mr. Arthur Lewisasked the Secretary of State for Defence whether he will state, for any given period of time, the menial tasks undertaken by an electrical mechanic, details of whom have been sent to him by the hon. Member for West Ham, North, during his period of keeping the ship or establishment tidy.
§ Mr. J. P. W. MallalieuIn the two and a half months in which he has been employed at Chatham the electrical mechanic to whom my hon. Friend refers has spent one week and two days helping to keep the establishment tidy. This is an essential task which I do not regard as menial. The particular jobs which he did were cleaning buildings in H.M.S. "Pembroke" (one week) and clearing grass, scrub and thistles from Ministry of Defence land (two days). For the rest of the period he was employed on electrical maintenance duties.
§ Mr. Arthur Lewisasked the Secretary of State for Defence why his Department have taken punitive action against the electrical mechanic, details of whom have been sent to him, normally resident in the constituency of the hon. Member for West Ham, North, for complaining that he was refused his discharge from the Royal Navy on grounds of having to undertake urgent work, whilst being compelled to carry out menial tasks; and whether he will reverse this decision.
§ Mr. J. P. W. MallalieuNo punitive action has been taken against the electrical mechanic to whom my hon. Friend refers. On the contrary, every effort has been made to arrange his postings as considerately as possible. Not only was he posted to his preference area while awaiting an overseas draft, but the draft itself was delayed for some months so that his wife, who was then expecting a baby, could accompany him overseas. The rating is now on embarkation leave.